Citation

Kim H, Kim SA, Kong S. Res. Nurs. Health 2016; 40(1): 51-62.

Affiliation

Professor, School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, 31 Suncheonhyang 6-gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, Republic of Korea, Zip code: 31151.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/nur.21773

PMID

27933610

Abstract

Although it is known that post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) can result from military service, the variance in PTSS unexplained by military service warrants further investigation, and no researchers have investigated South Korean Marines' vulnerability during their 2-year conscripted service as the first line of national defense against threats from North Korea. This study was designed to examine whether resilience mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and PTSS in 169 Korean conscripts into the Marine Corps. In a cross-sectional study design, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form was used to measure childhood maltreatment, including abuse and neglect. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used to measure PTSS and resilience. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. Half the conscripts reported at least one type of childhood maltreatment, and 22.3% had high PTSS, even in a short period of service. Childhood abuse was significantly associated with PTSS during military service, a relationship that was not mediated by resilience. However, resilience mediated the relationship between childhood neglect and PTSS during military service. Assessment of childhood maltreatment and resilience prior to military service is crucial for identifying conscripts at increased risk for PTSS during even brief military service. In addition to direct interventions for abuse effects among all Marines, interventions enhancing resilience may benefit conscripts who experienced childhood neglect. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Language: en