Factors associated with high functioning despite distress in post-9/11 veterans

Objective: This study aimed to identify modifiable factors associated with perceived functioning among veterans with high symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Method: Two hundred fifty-one post-9/11 veterans completed a survey of psychosocial symptoms and functioning; a subset participated in a follow-up survey (n = 109). Latent profile analysis (LPA) at baseline identified groups that differed by level of functioning (high/low). Items utilized in the LPA analysis were derived from the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Bref self-report measure. Veterans with high PTSD symptoms in both groups were compared and logistic regression was utilized to predict group membership. Results: Veterans with high functioning/high symptoms (n = 45) had significantly lower alcohol use and sleep problems, and higher postdeployment social support, posttraumatic growth, and optimism than veterans with low functioning/high symptoms (n = 100). Fewer sleep difficulties and higher postdeployment social support and optimism were associated with membership in the high functioning/high symptom group. Conclusions: These findings support the importance of identifying factors that can facilitate higher social, occupational, and general functional capacity for those with high levels of PTSD symptomatology.