Patterns of positive readjustment in Vietnam combat veterans

Abstract

Abstract This study examines readjustment patterns in 152 Vietnam combat veterans. Subjects were nontreatment‐seeking volunteers who felt that they had made an adequate life adjustment since Vietnam. Using a set of self‐report instruments, data were obtained on background characteristics, military experiences (including combat), exposure to war trauma, current day PTSD symptomatology, and types of coping strategies. A subset of well‐functioning veterans with substantial combat exposure was identified. Results indicated that these veterans suffered considerable distress during wartime but that they dealt with current recollections of this experience in a fashion that was significantly different from more symptomatic cohorts. Nonavoidant coping styles characterized the functioning of well‐adjusted veterans; furthermore, type of coping strategy predicted current adjustment better than combat exposure. Implications of different approaches to coping are discussed, particularly as they relate to the long‐term integration of traumatic war experiences.

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