Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jun 25;17(12):4585.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17124585.

Examining the Association between Trauma Exposure and Work-Related Outcomes in Women Veterans

Megan E Sienkiewicz  1 , Aneline Amalathas  2 , Katherine M Iverson  1   3 , Brian N Smith  1   3 , Karen S Mitchell  1   3
Affiliations

Examining the Association between Trauma Exposure and Work-Related Outcomes in Women Veterans

Megan E Sienkiewicz et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Women veterans have high rates of trauma exposure, including military sexual trauma (MST), which are associated with numerous health and psychosocial consequences. However, associations between trauma history and work-related outcomes are less well-characterized. We examined whether military-related and non-military trauma types were associated with work-related outcomes and whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms mediated these associations. A total of 369 women veterans completed up to two mailed surveys, 12 months apart, assessing trauma exposure, depression and PTSD symptoms, occupational functioning, and employment status (unemployed, out of the workforce, employed). Participants reported high rates of trauma exposure. Nearly half (47.5%) were out of the workforce. Military-related trauma, military sexual assault, and adult sexual assault were associated with worse occupational functioning. Only PTSD symptoms mediated associations between trauma types and occupational functioning. No trauma types were significantly directly associated with employment status; however, PTSD and depression symptoms mediated associations between trauma types and being out of the workforce. Findings can inform screening for military trauma exposures, mental health, and work-related needs among women veterans.

Keywords: PTSD; depression; military trauma; occupational health; traumatic stress; unemployment; veterans’ health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Kessler R.C., Sonnega A., Bromet E., Hughes M., Nelson C.B. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the national comorbidity survey. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. 1995;52:1048. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1995.03950240066012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Zinzow H.M., Grubaugh A.L., Monnier J., Suffoletta-Maierle S., Frueh B.C. Trauma among female veterans: A critical review. Trauma Violence Abus. 2007;8:384–400. doi: 10.1177/1524838007307295. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barth S.K., Kimerling R.E., Pavao J., McCutcheon S.J., Batten S.V., Dursa E., Peterson M.R., Schneiderman A.I. Military sexual trauma among recent veterans. Am. J. Prev. Med. 2016;50:77–86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Department of Defense Department of Defense Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military Fiscal Year. [(accessed on 1 July 2019)];2018 Available online: https://www.sapr.mil/sites/default/files/DoD_Annual_Report_on_Sexual_Ass....
    1. Iverson K.M., Vogt D., Dichter M.E., Carpenter S.L., Kimerling R., Street A.E., Gerber M.R. Intimate partner violence and current mental health needs among female veterans. J. Am. Board Fam. Med. 2015;28:772–776. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.06.150154. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types