PATTERNS OF POSITIVE READJUSTMENT IN VIETNAM COMBAT VETERANS

This study examines readjustment patterns in 152 Vietnam combat vetera ns. Subjects were nontreatment-seeking volunteers who felt that they h ad made an adequate life adjustment since Vietnam. Using a set of self -report instruments, data were obtained on background characteristics, military experiences (including combat), exposure to war trauma, curr ent day PTSD symptomatology, and types of coping strategies. A subset of well-functioning veterans with substantial combat exposure was iden tified. Results indicated that these veterans suffered considerable di stress during wartime but that they dealt with current recollections o f this experience in a fashion that was significantly different from m ore symptomatic cohorts. Nonavoidant coping styles characterized the f unctioning of well-adjusted veterans; furthermore, type of coping stra tegy predicted current adjustment better than combat exposure. Implica tions of different approaches to coping are discussed, particularly as they relate to the long-term integration of traumatic war experiences .