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Differentiation of the self and posttraumatic symptomatology among ex-POWs and their wives
Zahava Solomon1, Rachel Dekel, Gadi Zerach
1The Adler Research Center for Child Welfare and Protection, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. solomon@post.tau.ac.il
Abstract:
War captivity is a highly traumatic experience which sometimes has deleterious effects on both ex-POWs and their wives. This study examined the relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and differentiation among male ex-prisoners of war (ex-POWs; n = 103), their wives (n = 82), and comparable controls. Results show that ex-POWs and their wives endorsed more PTSD symptoms than controls. Ex-POWs endorsed more cut-off and fusion than controls, while their wives endorsed only more fusion than control wives. Finally, the relationship between differentiation and PTSD was found to be stronger among ex-POW couples than among control couples. The unique characteristics of war captivity and the relationships between avoidance symptoms and cut-off were suggested as possible explanations.
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