Comprehensive review of how PTSD might be related to relationship distress

What is it about?

We reviewed the research literature on how PTSD might be linked with problems in marriages and romantic relationships. We organized findings into an overarching model that looks at individual, couple-level, and broader environmental factors. We tried to organize the large set of findings about individual factors into a smaller set of factors (e.g., lack of positives vs. excess of negatives; trauma-specific vs. general symptoms). We also point to a number of areas for future research.

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Why is it important?

Our field has gathered a tremendous amount of information on PTSD and relationships, but we now run the risk of simply studying slightly new constructs that don't add much new information. We try to point out where we have enough information already, and where we need MORE information from new research.