Indirect Exposure to Captivity Details Is Not Related to Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among the Spouses and Offspring of Former Prisoners of War

Indirect exposure to the aversive details of the primary victim's traumatic event(s) has been introduced in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) as a new event criterion (Criterion A4). However, this new criterion has been criticized for its significant emphasis on the exposure to trauma “details” or trauma narrative. This study assessed the associations between reported exposure to details about captivity and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among 2 groups of family members of former prisoners of war (ex-POWs): spouses (n = 115) and adult offspring (n = 78). Results show that in both groups exposure to details regarding captivity was not significantly related to the severity of total PTSS and specifically, high levels of exposure to captivity details were related to lower avoidance symptoms among ex-POWs' spouses. Among offspring, exposure to paternal behaviors stemming from the fathers' posttraumatic stress disorder was related to PTSS, above and beyond negative life events, quality of relationship with the father, and exposure to captivity details (R² =.34). These results suggest that behavioral displays of the fathers' posttraumatic symptoms, rather than the recounting of trauma-related details, is related to PTSS among ex-POWs' offspring.