Research links life purpose to sustainable functioning in American veterans

U.S. military veterans face unique stressors, such as combat, and experience various health problems, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can negatively impact multiple aspects of functioning.

For more than a decade, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been implementing its Whole Health initiative, a holistic, personalized approach to health care that aims to support functioning and improve well-being in veterans.

To help inform the continued delivery of Whole Health, a new study led by researchers at the National Center for PTSD and Yale analyzed data from a large, population-based sample of U.S. military veterans to identify factors – both positive and negative – related to mental, physical, psychosocial and cognitive functioning.

The results were published online on August 9 JAMA network opened.

“We have a general understanding of factors that can negatively impact functioning, such as chronic medical conditions, sleep problems, and PTSD symptoms. There is also evidence that positive psychological traits, such as purpose in life and optimism, can help enhance functioning. ” said lead author Ian C. Fischer, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at Yale’s Department of Psychiatry and the National Center for PTSD.

“However, little is known about whether certain vulnerability or resilience factors are more important for specific forms of functioning, or whether they interact to shape functioning.”

The authors found that physical disability, total number of medical conditions, and insomnia were most strongly associated with physical functioning. For mental, psychosocial and cognitive functioning, positive psychological traits and insomnia were most strongly associated.

The authors also found that certain positive psychological traits also weakened the strong negative effect of insomnia on mental, psychosocial and cognitive functioning. Notably, among veterans with clinical insomnia, those who also reported high levels of purpose in life reported levels of functioning comparable to those without insomnia.

“There are several evidence-based strategies that can help strengthen a sense of purpose in life. Psychological treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy can help, but there are also less formal strategies,” Fischer said.

“For example, taking some time to clarify your values ​​and take stock of what matters most, identifying what makes you feel most alive, and participating in community events – these are all activities that can help you develop a greater sense of purpose German philosopher Fredrich Nietzsche noted that having a ‘why’ to live for can help us deal with almost any ‘how’.