(PS4-B32) Accommodation in Intimate Couples with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Outcomes in Accommodating Partners

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with relationship difficulties (e.g., satisfaction, psychological aggression) in couples where one partner has PTSD (Taft et al., 2011). More recently, partner accommodation, wherein the non-PTSD partner changes their behaviour in response to PTSD symptoms, has been significantly associated with higher levels of PTSD symptoms (e.g., Allen et al., 2021) and worsened relationship outcomes (e.g., lower relationship satisfaction in both partners; Fredman et al., 2014). Past studies have also found that partner accommodation is associated with negative outcomes in intimate partners such as greater depression, state anger, and ineffective arguing (e.g., Fredman et al., 2014, 2016; Kenny et al., 2021). Still, more research on the potential negative consequences of accommodation on non-PTSD partners is needed in order to better understand how such behaviours not only affect these individuals, but the relationship as a whole. Thus, the present study aims to further examine associations between partner accommodation and measures of psychological, relationship, and overall well-being, as well as mental health help-seeking attitudes and behaviours. 

This study used baseline data from 53 couples taken from a larger ongoing project examining the efficacy and feasibility of Couple HOPES, an online, guided self-help PTSD intervention for couples. A series of linear regressions showed that partner accommodation was significantly positively associated with depression (B = .208, p = .003), anxiety (B = .174, p = .019), ineffective arguing (B = .437, p < .001), and significantly negatively associated with relationship satisfaction (B = -.303, p < .001) and quality of life (B = -.033, p = .007). A logistic regression revealed that partner accommodation was also significantly associated with a higher likelihood of having previously sought mental health help (B = .106, p = .020, Odds Ratio = 1.11). Associations between accommodation and trait anger (B = .007, p = .906), perceived health (B = -.006, p = .620), work functioning (B = -.020, p = .154), or mental health help seeking intentions (B = .065, p = .102) were nonsignificant. The findings suggest that non-PTSD partners’ accommodating behaviours result in individual distress, as measured by an array of negative outcomes, and provide further evidence that accommodation may be a detrimental form of coping within a PTSD couple context.