Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Responses among Military Chaplains: Implications for Military Behavioral Health

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Military chaplains play a vital role in helping the military accomplish their missions. These chaplains can be exposed to traumatic experiences during their deployments with some of them developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: Using in-depth interviews with 17 former and active-duty chaplains who have been diagnosed with PTSD, this study employs classical grounded theory to formulate a conceptual model explaining key factors that contribute to their trauma resiliency. Results: The conceptual model derived from grounded theory analysis of the interviews theorizes that chaplains with PTSD who have a greater number of overall and religious/spiritual protective factors and fewer overall and religious/spiritual risk factors are more resilient to military-related trauma experiences. Alternatively, chaplains who have more overall and religious/spiritual risk factors and fewer of these protective factors demonstrate decreased resiliency. Key risk factors included high levels of guilt, perceived weakness and stigma associated with symptoms, heavy work demands during deployments, competitive work environments, isolation, and unhelpful leadership responses. Discussion: Implications for military behavioral health to support military chaplains are highlighted. They include recommendations for increased and targeted psychoeducation efforts, expanded use of camaraderie-based approaches/fostering informal support, incorporation of chaplain’s faith/spirituality, increased use of narrative and cognitive interventions, and advocating for chaplains.