1. Introduction
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is described by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual as a psychological impairment that causes ‘significant distress’ to an individual’s ordinary interactions and functioning due to exposure to ‘actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is estimated that approximately 5-10% of the Australian population suffer or have suffered from PTSD at some point in their lives (Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, 2013). The traumatic events that most likely lead to a development of PTSD in the Australian population are physical assault and rape (Creamer et al., 2001). Military personnel are particularly unique in this instance in that …show more content…
The study found that psychological distress as a result of traumatic experiences can be lessened or mediated through the application of various coping strategies and of the 1332 coping instances observed, in more than 98% of cases, both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were utilized (Folkman and Lazarus, 1980). The method of coping an individual employs is dependent on their appraisal of the stressful situation, referring to the ‘cognitive interpretation and evaluation of a stressor’ (Gerrig, 2009), as well as the wider structural context they find themselves in. Specifically, the controllability of a situation, or the perceived possibility to change the conditions of the event, is a clear determinant of what techniques an individual employs in response to stress (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). In circumstances where the individual perceives that they have ability to change the stressful nature of a stressor, they would be more likely to utilize problem-focused coping, however when the stressor seems uncontrollable, the individual is more likely to rely on emotion-focused coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). …show more content…
In particular, the studies previously mentioned such as Solomon et al., Folkman and Lazarus as well as Billings and Moos all showed a correlation between a reduction of combat-related PTSD symptoms and the application of problem-focused coping (Folkman, 1984, Billings and Moos, 1984, Solomon et al., 1988b). As veterans tend to focus on avoidant emotion-focused techniques, the aversion of problem-coping perpetuates the cycle of stress and exhaustion that PTSD exacerbates. This is supported by a study conducted by Karstoft, Armour, Elklit and Solomon amongst Israeli war veterans which found that the non-use of problem-solving coping increased the risk of the chronicity and/or the delay of reaction following exposure to combat and, as a result, problem-solving was an adaptive form of coping in response to PTSD (Karstoft et al., 2015). The strongest piece of evidence in favour of problem-solving coping as a form of treatment was a study conducted on Croation soldiers undergoing treatment programs which found that avoidant and disengagement emotional coping techniques were associated with the development of alcohol and drug abuse and that through psychoeducation and sociotherapy programs, which can be characterised as problem-solving coping, a reduction in the severity of combat-related PTSD symptoms was apparent (Britvic et
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is described by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual as a psychological impairment that causes ‘significant distress’ to an individual’s ordinary interactions and functioning due to exposure to ‘actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violation’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It is estimated that approximately 5-10% of the Australian population suffer or have suffered from PTSD at some point in their lives (Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health, 2013). The traumatic events that most likely lead to a development of PTSD in the Australian population are physical assault and rape (Creamer et al., 2001). Military personnel are particularly unique in this instance in that …show more content…
The study found that psychological distress as a result of traumatic experiences can be lessened or mediated through the application of various coping strategies and of the 1332 coping instances observed, in more than 98% of cases, both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping were utilized (Folkman and Lazarus, 1980). The method of coping an individual employs is dependent on their appraisal of the stressful situation, referring to the ‘cognitive interpretation and evaluation of a stressor’ (Gerrig, 2009), as well as the wider structural context they find themselves in. Specifically, the controllability of a situation, or the perceived possibility to change the conditions of the event, is a clear determinant of what techniques an individual employs in response to stress (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). In circumstances where the individual perceives that they have ability to change the stressful nature of a stressor, they would be more likely to utilize problem-focused coping, however when the stressor seems uncontrollable, the individual is more likely to rely on emotion-focused coping (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). …show more content…
In particular, the studies previously mentioned such as Solomon et al., Folkman and Lazarus as well as Billings and Moos all showed a correlation between a reduction of combat-related PTSD symptoms and the application of problem-focused coping (Folkman, 1984, Billings and Moos, 1984, Solomon et al., 1988b). As veterans tend to focus on avoidant emotion-focused techniques, the aversion of problem-coping perpetuates the cycle of stress and exhaustion that PTSD exacerbates. This is supported by a study conducted by Karstoft, Armour, Elklit and Solomon amongst Israeli war veterans which found that the non-use of problem-solving coping increased the risk of the chronicity and/or the delay of reaction following exposure to combat and, as a result, problem-solving was an adaptive form of coping in response to PTSD (Karstoft et al., 2015). The strongest piece of evidence in favour of problem-solving coping as a form of treatment was a study conducted on Croation soldiers undergoing treatment programs which found that avoidant and disengagement emotional coping techniques were associated with the development of alcohol and drug abuse and that through psychoeducation and sociotherapy programs, which can be characterised as problem-solving coping, a reduction in the severity of combat-related PTSD symptoms was apparent (Britvic et