ABSTRACT
In this chapter we examine the relationship between experiential and subjective indicators of war stress among 326 Vietnam veterans from the Legacies of Vietnam study. Our findings show that experiential indicators of war stress are more consistent predictors of PTSD symptoms. However, we found several subjective indicators of war stress which were also significantly related to PTSD symptoms and disorder. The most consistent relationship was between denial of war stress and subsequent intrusive imagery and numbing symptoms. We conclude that veterans’ descriptions of their responses to war trauma are important to understanding the enduring relationship between war stress and PTSD.
