Oregon State College of Health study finds veterans’ personal views of combat experiences and the support they get upon returning home are stronger predictors of PTSD symptoms than the specific conflict in which they served
![Woman wearing army fatigues sitting on a door step](https://osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/blogs.dir/2098/files/2024/01/predictors-of-veterans-PTSD-open-graph.jpg)
Oregon State College of Health study finds veterans’ personal views of combat experiences and the support they get upon returning home are stronger predictors of PTSD symptoms than the specific conflict in which they served
Researchers found that people who reported more positive self-perceptions of aging were more insulated from the physical effects of stress compared with people who felt more negatively about their own aging.
“It’s a mistake to think of older adults as just being sort of victims during COVID,” Carolyn says. “They’re a lot more resilient than we think they are.”
If you believe you’re capable of becoming a healthy, engaged person in old age, you are more likely to experience that outcome.
Military veterans exposed to combat were more likely to exhibit signs of depression and anxiety in later life than veterans who had not seen combat.
Professor Carolyn Aldwin was recently featured in Psychology Today for her study examining if hardships in life make us wiser.