Effects of Combat Stress Reaction and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Perceived Self-Efficacy in Battle

Following the 1982 Lebanon War, the Mental Health Department Research Branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps initiated a large-scale, multicohort, longitudinal study of combat veterans. This report examined the long-term effects of combat stress reaction (CSR) and ongoing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on perceived self-efficacy (PSE) in battle. PSE and PTSD were assessed annually for 3 years following the 1982 Lebanon War in a group of 213 soldiers who had been diagnosed as suffering from CSR and in a second group of 116 soldiers who had participated in the same battles but suffered no breakdown. Results indicate that low levels of PSE associated with battle experience were maintained for 3 years following the Lebanon War, supporting a notion of continuing residual trauma. The pattern of findings indicates that CSR has pervasive negative impact across multiple aspects of PSE, whereas the impact of PTSD is limited. Changes in PTSD were independent of changes in PSE. Discussion is fo...