Intergenerational transmission of post-traumatic stress disorder in Australian Vietnam veterans' families

Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2017 May;135(5):363-372. doi: 10.1111/acps.12685. Epub 2016 Dec 28.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and offspring PTSD and its specificity for other disorders in a non-clinical epidemiological cohort of Australian Vietnam veterans, their partners and their sons and daughters.

Method: Veterans were interviewed twice, in 1992-1994 and 2005-2006; partners were interviewed in 2006-2007, and their offspring in 2012-2014. A total of 125 sons and 168 daughters were interviewed from 197 families, 137 of which also included partners who were the mothers of the children. Statistical analysis used multi-level modelling to compute odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals while controlling for clustering effects within families. Parent PTSD diagnoses were examined for associations with offspring trauma exposure, PTSD and other psychiatric diagnoses.

Results: Veteran PTSD increased the risk of PTSD and no other disorder in both sons and daughters; partner PTSD did not. Veteran depression was also a risk factor for sons' PTSD, and alcohol disorder was linked to alcohol dependence in sons and PTSD in daughters, but not when controlling for veteran PTSD.

Conclusion: We conclude that PTSD in a Vietnam veteran father increases the risk specifically for PTSD in his sons and daughters.

Keywords: epidemiology; family studies; gender; post-traumatic stress disorder; trauma.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Australia / ethnology
  • Child of Impaired Parents / psychology*
  • Combat Disorders / ethnology
  • Combat Disorders / psychology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / ethnology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology*
  • Veterans / psychology*
  • Vietnam Conflict
  • Young Adult