Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Yoly Zentella
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived postdeployment experiences of U.S. women veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and their perception of the impact their diagnosis had on their immediate families. The theoretical framework was Heider’s causal attribution theory. The first two research questions directly addressed the purpose of the study, and the third research question addressed each participant’s experience with accessing mental healthcare services. NVivo was used to transcribe, code, and analyze data derived from semistructured interviews with six U.S. women veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD by a licensed mental health professional postdeployment. Findings emerged PTSD diagnosis, U.S. women veterans experienced effects of PTSD on themselves and their immediate family members, access challenges to mental health care services. Eight subordinate themes (codes) also emerged history of traumatic events during active duty (i.e., sexual assault);communicative challenges, elevated verbal exchanges/angry outbursts with immediate family members; lengthy process of claims to begin Veterans Affairs mental health services, prescription medication to treat PTSD symptoms; denied mental health care services due to peacetime service; desire for improved U.S. women veterans’ mental health care services; anxiety/panic attacks; and difficulty rescheduling therapy sessions and/or distractable teletherapy sessions due to Covid-19 pandemic. The positive social change implications include increasing awareness for the need of rapid response and access to mental health care services for U.S. women veterans living with PTSD.
Recommended Citation
Mount, PhD, Bobbi N. L., "Effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for U.S. Women Veterans" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13617.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13617
