Patterns of psychological health problems and family maltreatment among United States Air Force members

J Clin Psychol. 2018 Jul;74(7):1258-1271. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22594. Epub 2018 Mar 12.

Abstract

Objectives: We sought to identify subgroups of individuals based on patterns of psychological health problems (PH; e.g., depressive symptoms, hazardous drinking) and family maltreatment (FM; e.g., child and partner abuse).

Method: We analyzed data from very large surveys of United States Air Force active duty members with romantic partners and children.

Results: Latent class analyses indicated six replicable patterns of PH problems and FM. Five of these classes, representing ∼98% of survey participants, were arrayed ordinally, with increasing risk of multiple PH problems and FM. A sixth group defied this ordinal pattern, with pronounced rates of FM and externalizing PH problems, but without correspondingly high rates/levels of internalizing PH problems.

Conclusions: Ramifications of these results for intervention are discussed.

Keywords: United States Air Force; child abuse; latent class analysis; partner abuse; psychological health.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / psychology*
  • Depression / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Latent Class Analysis
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / etiology*
  • Mental Health
  • Middle Aged
  • Military Personnel / psychology*
  • Spouse Abuse / psychology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / etiology
  • Substance-Related Disorders / etiology
  • United States
  • Young Adult