Distress and Resilience After Cancer in Veterans

Combat exposure and posttraumatic stress have the potential to affect distress in response to cancer, a common late-life stressor. Models of posttraumatic growth suggest that distress can produce varying avenues for resilience. A primarily male, veteran sample completed interviews regarding how combat exposure and posttraumatic stress relate to distress and growth in cancer survivors. While combat alone did not predict greater distress, combat veterans with current combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms reported the greatest distress following cancer. These same veterans showed cancer-related growth. This is the first large-scale study examining the relationships among combat, posttraumatic stress, and emotional health following cancer.