Research paperHardiness and sensation seeking as potential predictors of former prisoners of wars' posttraumatic stress symptoms trajectories over a 17-year period

•We examined trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among veterans.•Four longitudinal PTSS trajectories were identified.•Former prisoners of war were classified in trajectories with increasing levels of PTSS.•Comparable veterans were classified in a trajectory with "low" levels of PTSS.•Hardiness is a possible buffer for "high" or "medium-increasing" PTSS trajectories among ex-POWs.

ObjectiveLittle is known about trajectories of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among former prisoners of war (ex-POWs) and the predictors of those trajectories. This study aimed to assess long-term PTSS trajectories among ex-POWs and comparable veterans and the role of hardiness and sensation seeking in predicting PTSS trajectory.MethodA sample of 189 Israeli ex-POWs and 160 comparable combatants participated in a 17 year longitudinal study with three waves of measurements following the 1973 Yom Kippur War (T1: 1991, T2: 2003, T3: 2008). Participants completed validated self-report measures.ResultsLatent growth mixture modeling (LGMM) identified four longitudinal PTSS trajectories. Among ex-POWs, the majority of participants were classified in trajectories with "low-increasing" or "medium-increasing" levels of PTSS. Among the comparable veterans, however, the majority of participants were classified in a trajectory with "low" levels of PTSS. Ex-POWs with high levels of hardiness were less likely to belong to the "high" or "medium-increasing" PTSS trajectories, compared to the low-fluctuating trajectory.ConclusionsThe long-term course of PTSS is heterogeneous among both veterans and ex-POWs, with chronic and increasing symptom patterns being more prevalent amongst ex-POWs. Ex-POWs should be considered an at-risk population for exacerbated PTSS trajectories that is related to hardiness personality construct.