The impact of combat trauma across the family life cycle: Clinical considerations

Clinical experience and research with veterans of the Second World War and subsequent military conflicts have demonstrated the longstanding nature of combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and the reverberating effects upon the families of traumatized individuals. The consequences of combat trauma during various stages of family life are discussed. Specifically, the impact upon (a) courtship and mate selection, (b) marriage, (c) childbirth and childrearing, (d) marriage in mid-life, (e) children leaving home, and (f) retirement in late life are reviewed. Finally, clinical considerations for the practice of family psychotherapy in this area are presented.Portions of this paper were presented at the First European Congress of Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, July 6, 1989. Support for the preparation of this paper was provided by the Medical Research Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The authors extend their gratitude to Drs. Barbara McClure and Harvey A. Taub for their editorial assistance on an earlier version of this article.