Citation

Perrotte JK, Weston R, Meyer EC, Debeer BB, Kimbrel NA, Gulliver SB, Morissette SB. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00127-022-02364-1

PMID

36114856

Abstract

Using a four-wave longitudinal design, three competing hypotheses (i.e., social selection, social causation, and reciprocal causation) were tested pertaining to the relation between social functioning and several indices of behavioral health [i.e., post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), distress, and alcohol-related problems] among military veterans exposed to trauma. Across two latent growth curve analyses, data largely supported longitudinal links between improved social functioning and positive behavioral health, often indicating that the improvements in social functioning frequently precede improvements in behavioral health. Overall, findings underscore the merit of directly targeting social functioning as part of mental health treatment among trauma-exposed individuals.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol; Veterans; Distress; Post-traumatic stress; Social functioning