Modeling physical health and functional health status: The role of combat exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, and personal resource attributes

This study examined associations of combat exposure and posttraumatic stres s disorder (PTSD) with physical health conditions and also incorporated har diness and social support as mediators and functional health status as an o utcome. Data were derived from 1,632 male and female Vietnam veterans who p articipated in the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study. Path analy sis revealed that hardiness and social support operated primarily as interm ediary variables between combat exposure and PTSD, and PTSD emerged as the pivotal variable explaining physical health conditions and functional healt h status. Gender-based differences in means and patterns of associations am ong variables were found. The results stress the importance of assessing tr auma in clinical settings as a meaningful determinant of health outcomes.