Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (JCBS)
Volume 30, October 2023, Pages 97-105
Authors
Samuel D. Spencer, M. Bridget Zimmerman, Nicte Donis, Merlyn Rodrigues, Dorothy O. Jackson, Lilian Dindo
Abstract
Many returning service members deployed in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan (Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn) face numerous challenges within post-deployment community reintegration (PDCR), including mild traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, and psychological disorders such as PTSD– a constellation of symptoms referred to as polytrauma. Within a transdiagnostic acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) framework, optimal PDCR is hindered by excesses in maladaptive avoidance-based coping and deficits in resilience-based coping. The present cross-sectional study examined the relationship between vulnerability (psychological distress, PTSD symptomology, and experiential avoidance) and resilience (values-based living; VBL) factors with PDCR in a sample of 298 Veterans with polytrauma-related concerns (Nmale = 244, Mage = 40.6). Results indicated: 1) higher psychological distress, PTSD symptomology, and experiential avoidance, respectively, and low VBL were significantly associated with greater PDCR difficulty; and 2) Veterans high in VBL (versus low) demonstrated a strengthened association between psychological distress and PTSD symptomology, respectively, with PDCR difficulty. These slope differences revealed a lack of differentiation in PDCR at high levels of distress/PTSD: PDCR difficulty was high for all levels of VBL. Conversely, at low-to-moderate levels of distress/PTSD, differences in PDCR difficulty were observed across VBL levels: PDCR difficulty was lower for Veterans high in VBL (versus low), suggesting VBL as a potential catalyst for facilitating optimal PDCR, but only for a limited range of symptom severity. Findings support the use of transdiagnostic ACT to improve outcomes for Veterans with polytrauma-related concerns.