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Implications of posttraumatic stress among military-affiliated and civilian students
Adam E Barry1, Shawn D Whiteman, Shelley M MacDermid Wadsworth
1Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA. aebarry@ufl.edu
Objectives:
To determine whether posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are associated with problem drinking and alcohol-related consequences, as well as academic correlates among military-affiliated and civilian students.
Participants:
The final sample (n = 248) included 78 combat-exposed student service members/veterans, 53 non-combat-exposed student service members/ veterans, 38 ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps) students, and 79 civilian students.
Methods:
Self-report data were collected spring 2011 via a Web-based survey measuring PTS, problem drinking, alcohol-related consequences, grade point average, educational self-efficacy, academic amotivation, and persistence.
Results:
Military students exposed to combat-related trauma reported significantly greater PTS symptoms than other military and civilian groups. PTS symptoms were associated with problem drinking and alcohol-related consequences for all groups, yet unrelated to academic correlates among those exposed to combat-related trauma.
Conclusion:
This study adds to the scant literature base exploring the unique characteristics of student service members/veterans in higher education.
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