The role of thought control strategies on the symptoms of chronic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders caused by war

Introduction: Studies on civilian patients with PTSD have shown that the use of positive and negative thought control strategies play an important role in increasing and decreasing PTSD symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to examine the direct and indirect relation-ships of negative and positive thought control strategies with symptoms of chronic PTSD in the veterans of the 8 years holy defense of Iran.Method: The method of this study was a description- correlation and path analysis. 80 veter-ans with chronic PTSD were selected at convenience and the instruments (thought control questionnaires and PTSD symptoms checklists) were administered on them. To evaluate the direct and indirect relationships of thought control strategies with PTSD symptoms, path analysis was used. Also, to confirm the developed model, AMOS Graphic was used.Results: The results showed that among the thought control strategies, worry, self-punishment and reappraisal have the highest relationship with PTSD symptoms. Worry and self-punishment had a positive relationship with PTSD symptoms and reappraisal had a negative relationship with PTSD symptoms. Also, worry had both a direct and indirect relationship with PTSD symptoms.Conclusion: The results of this study provides further support for the role of negative thought control strategies as an important factor in the persistence of PTSD symptoms and positive and adaptive strategies of thought control in reducing PTSD symptoms in veterans with PTSD chronic post-traumatic caused by the war.