POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER AND THE STATES-OF-MIND MODEL - EVIDENCEOF SPECIFICITY

We conducted a study to examine whether the states-of-mind (SOM) model (Schwartz & Garamoni, 1986) could successfully differentiate between Vietnam combat veterans who suffered from posttraumatic stress disorde r (PTSD) and Vietnam combat veterans who did not. Veterans completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed the balance of cognitions (SO M ratios), extent of combat exposure, and symptomatology. The results supported our predictions: After matching the groups according to comb at exposure and controlling general psychopathology, we found that (a) the combat veterans who suffered from PTSD reported more maladaptive SOM than combat veterans who did not suffer from PTSD, and (b) maladap tive SOM related to intrusive, but not avoidant, PTSD symptomatology.