Psychological and moral development of a group of PTSD diagnosed combat veterans

The purpose of this study was to determine if combat veterans diagnosed with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have arrested psychosocial and moral development compared to PTSD-free veterans. The theoretical work of Erik H. Erikson was operationalized through the development of a self scoring instrument called the Taylor Scale for Psychosocial Development (TSPD). That instrument was developed through a closely monitored, theory based process. Once normative data was gathered, the TSPD was used to evaluate 64 military veterans. Half had been diagnosed with PTSD, the other 32 were PTSD-free. The Defining Issues Test (DIT) was also administered to the same 64 participants to determine their respective moral developmental levels. The DIT is a widely used instrument based on Lawrence Kohlberg's moral developmental theory.; The TSPD was designed to measure development in Erikson's Adolescent (5th), Early Adulthood (6th), and Adulthood (7th) stages of psychosocial developmental stages. Given that most combat veterans are exposed to their war trauma in their late teens or early 20's, arrested development may be indicated should their developmental scores be lower than that associated with Stage 7 (Adult) developmental expectations of the PTSD-free group and the normative adult group. This was expected to apply for both DIT and TSPD results. All combat veteran study participants were in Erikson's Adult Stage chronologically.; Comparisons were then made between the two groups of veterans and also between the veteran groups and the normative groups. The comparisons were used in context of the research questions having to do with the groups' respective moral and psychosocial developmental levels.; Results showed significantly lower developmental levels between the PTSD diagnosed participants and the PTSD-free group as well as between the PTSD diagnosed veterans and the normative group. This was true for both developmental measures used. Findings of arrested development in PTSD diagnosed combat veterans may indicate that a treatment modality based on cognitive-developmental theory is a potentially productive treatment avenue for clinicians to investigate.