Positive Adjustment Among American Repatriated Prisoners of the Vietnam War: Modeling the Long-Term Effects of Captivity

Abstract

A longitudinal lifespan model of factors contributing to later-life positive adjustment was tested on 567 American repatriated prisoners from the Vietnam War. This model encompassed demographics at time of capture and attributes assessed after return to the U.S. (reports of torture and mental distress) and approximately 3 decades later (later-life stressors, perceived social support, positive appraisal of military experiences, and positive adjustment). Age and education at time of capture and physical torture were associated with repatriation mental distress, which directly predicted poorer adjustment 30 years later. Physical torture also had a salutary effect, enhancing later-life positive appraisals of military experiences. Later-life events were directly and indirectly (through concerns about retirement) associated with positive adjustment. Results suggest that the personal resources of older age and more education and early-life adverse experiences can have cascading effects over the lifespan to impact well-being in both positive and negative ways.

Keywords: Prisoners of war; aging; later-life stressors; life satisfaction; lifespan; mastery; quality of life; social support; torture.

Figure 1

Schematic display of most saturated model predicting long-term positive adjustment over approximately 30 years. Unstandardized regression coefficients [95% CIs] are provided. AGE = age at time of capture; EDU = education at time of capture; MAR = marital status at time of capture; PST = psychological torture; PHT = physical torture; RMD = repatriation mental distress; LLE = later-life events; RET = concerns about retirement; SOC = social support; PAM = positive appraisal of military experiences; POS = positive adjustment.

Figure 2

Final structural model predicting long-term positive adjustment over approximately 30 years. Solid lines = positive paths. Dashed lines = negative paths. Bolded paths represent statistically significant associations (|CR| > 1.96). Nonbolded paths (RMD → PAM, PST → SOC, and PST →RET) have |CR| > 1.5 but ≤ 1.96. Unstandardized regression coefficients [95% CIs] are provided. AGE = age at time of capture; EDU = education at time of capture; MAR = marital status at time of capture; PST = psychological torture; PHT = physical torture; RMD = repatriation mental distress; LLE = later-life events; RET = concerns about retirement; SOC = social support; PAM = positive appraisal of military experiences; POS = positive adjustment.