Page 22 - JSOM Spring 2023

TABLE 1 Aftermath of Battle Scale Item Response Patterns, Item Correlations with PTSD Symptom Severity, and Partial Correlations when
Adjusting for Perceived Threat Scale Scores
Item Response a PTSD
Perceived PTSD Symptoms
Item 1 2 3 4 5 Threat Symptoms (Partial)
I observed homes or villages that had been destroyed. 63.7 25.5 6.9 3.9 0.0 0.28*** 0.14* 0.03
I saw refugees who had lost their homes and belongings as a result
of battle. 81.0 15.0 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.50*** 0.20** 0.00
I saw people begging for food. 64.4 13.9 5.0 8.9 7.9 0.05 0.07 0.06
I or my unit took prisoners of war. 70.3 15.8 10.9 3.0 0.0 0.21** 0.03 –0.06
I interacted with enemy soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war. 59.4 17.8 18.8 2.0 2.0 0.54*** 0.25*** 0.05
I was exposed to the sight, sound, or smell of animals that had been 67.6 20.6 10.8 1.0 0.0 0.56*** 0.29*** 0.10
wounded or killed from war-related causes.
I took care of injured or dying people. 23.5 18.6 6.9 19.6 31.4 0.57*** 0.24*** 0.03
I was involved in removing dead bodies after battle. 48.0 21.6 18.6 3.9 7.8 0.58*** 0.34*** 0.15*
I was exposed to the sight, sound, or smell of dying men and women. 40.6 21.8 17.8 9.9 9.9 0.60*** 0.30*** 0.09
I saw enemy soldiers after they had been severely wounded or
disfigured in combat. 46.1 21.6 13.7 10.8 7.8 0.58*** 0.28*** 0.07
I saw the bodies of dead enemy soldiers. 52.9 20.6 14.7 8.8 2.9 0.59*** 0.33*** 0.14*
I saw civilians after they had been severely wounded or disfigured. 38.2 25.5 12.7 16.7 6.9 0.59*** 0.27*** 0.06
I saw the bodies of dead civilians. 57.8 20.6 11.8 5.9 3.9 0.54*** 0.28*** 0.09
I saw Americans or allies after they had been severely wounded or 36.3 15.7 17.6 17.6 12.7 0.60*** 0.28*** 0.07
disfigured in combat.
I saw the bodies of dead Americans or allies. 44.6 26.7 15.8 10.9 2.0 0.61*** 0.32*** 0.12
a Response options on the Aftermath of Battle Scale are 1=never, 2=a few times over the entire deployment, 3=a few times each month, 4=a few
times each week, and 5=daily or almost daily.
*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001.

many times each stressor was experienced while deployed. being involved in removing dead bodies after battle, seeing the
Taking care of injured or dying people and going on combat bodies of dead enemy soldiers, seeing the bodies of dead Amer-
patrols or missions were the most frequently experienced de- icans or allies, and being exposed to the sights and sounds of
ployment stressors, with 51.0% of participants having taken dying men and women. Correlations of PCL-M scores with
care of injured or dying people and 53.5% having gone on each CES item are reported in Table 2. The relative strongest
combat patrols or missions on a weekly or daily basis. correlates of PTSD symptoms each accounted for greater than
9% of the variance (r>0.30), and included participating in
Correlations of Perceived Threat hand-to-hand combat, firing a weapon at the enemy, receiving
With Deployment Stressors friendly fire, and being wounded or injured in combat, being
Correlations of Perceived Threat scores with each ABS item part of an assault on an entrenched or fortified position, and
are reported in Table 1. The strongest correlates of threat ap- being in a vehicle that was under attack. Overall, these results
praisal each accounted for greater than 25% of the variance indicated that a comparable number of combat stressors and
in Perceived Threat scores (r>0.50), and included seeing the aftermath stressors were moderately correlated with PTSD
bodies of dead Americans or allies, seeing severely wounded symptom severity.
or disfigured Americans or allies, exposure to the sights and
sounds of dying people, seeing the bodies of dead enemy sol- Correlations of PTSD Symptoms With Deployment
diers, seeing severely wounded or injured civilians, removing Stressors When Accounting for Perceived Threat
dead bodies after battle, seeing severely wounded or injured In our final analysis, we examined the partial correlations
enemy soldiers, taking care of injured or dying people, seeing of ABS and CES items with PTSD symptoms when account-
the bodies of dead civilians, interacting with prisoners of war, ing for Perceived Threat scores. Partial correlations provide
and seeing refugees. Correlations of Perceived Threat scores information about the strength of association between two
with each CES item are reported in Table 2. The relative stron- variables that does not overlap with other variables. Overall,
gest correlates of threat appraisal each accounted for greater PTSD symptoms and Perceived Threat scores were moderately
than 25% of the variance in Perceived Threat scores (r>0.50), correlated with each other in the positive direction (r=0.39,
and included being in a vehicle that was under fire and going p<.001), indicating that PTSD symptoms were generally higher
on combat patrols or missions. Overall, these results indicated among personnel who reported a greater level of perceived
that a greater number of aftermath stressors than combat danger. When adjusting for Perceived Threat Scale scores, the
stressors were strongly correlated with perceived threat. partial correlation coefficients of the ABS and CES items with
PTSD symptoms were much smaller than the zero-order cor-
Correlations of PTSD Symptoms relations (see Table 1). Of the ABS items, the strongest par-
With Deployment Stressors tial correlates of PTSD symptoms were removing dead bodies
Correlations of PTSD Checklist, Military Version (PCL-M) after battle and seeing bodies of dead enemy soldiers, each
scores with each ABS item are reported in Table 1. The relative of which accounted for less than 2.5% of unique variance
strongest correlates of PTSD symptom severity each accounted in PTSD. Of the CES items, the strongest partial correlate of
for greater than 9% of the variance (r>0.30), and included PTSD symptoms—the only item accounting for more than 9%

20 | JSOM Volume 23, Edition 1 / Spring 2023