Adverse Childhood Experiences Among OEF/OIF Veterans and Susceptibility to Post-Deployment Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Introduction- Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have only recently been introduced into public health research, as the area of expertise has been commonly explored in psychology and sociology departments. Researchers Felitti and Anda from Keiser Permanente in San Diego conducted the first ACE study in 1998 and discovered nearly two-thirds of San Diegans were exposed to one ACE and one in five participants had three or more ACEs. Dr. Jodie Katon (2015) and colleagues evaluated the prevalence of ACEs and the impact ensued as adults in military service members relative to civilians, and determined men and women with history of military service had higher ACE scores. Furthermore, Dr. Blosnich and colleagues sought to compare the prevalence in ACEs among service members categorized by military service, service era, and gender. Dr. Blosnich (2014), found men in the all-volunteer era had double the odds of reporting forced sex prior to the age of 18 and may use enlistment as an escape. Purpose / Study Objectives- The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between ACEs and posttraumatic stress disorder among veterans who deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). Objective (1) to determine if veterans with higher scores of adverse childhood experiences are at a greater risk for the development of post-deployment posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective (2), to evaluate the differences in veterans’ combat experiences and coping mechanisms after OEF/OIF deployment(s). Lastly, objective (3), to examine the health behaviors of veterans who have deployed in support of OEF/OIF. Methods- Veterans who deployed in support of OEF/OIF were recruited to participate in a research study through California State University San Marcos. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected with a survey questionnaire consisting of demographic questions, military service criteria, PCL-5, ACE questionnaire, and ACEs currently present within the household.Participants' (n=56) responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 25. Results- Veterans who screened positive for PTSD had higher mean ACE scores (4.67) than their non-PTSD counterparts (3.00) (p =. 0.19). No differences were observed in susceptibility to PTSD between genders, or number of times deployed. Not all veterans who deployed developed PTSD, nevertheless, those who screened positive for PTSD had seen trauma. Veterans with PTSD had a smaller support system of people whom they could openly discuss deployment experiences with in comparison to their non-PTSD counterparts. Conclusion- Veterans with PTSD were less likely to discuss traumatic experiences which increases the risk for social-emotional and cognitive impairment. This study confirmed Blosnich’s theory (2014), that some veterans may use enlistment as an escape, however, significance was not found due to limited sample size after stratification. Further research should include a prospective veteran population-based study focusing on ACEs as motivators for enlistment in the armed services and the impact of ACEs within a population of military children during wartime.