Date

1-14-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Robyn Brown

Keywords

military, PTSD, caregivers, academic success

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Military families and caregivers have unique experiences with their service member which can both enhance and challenge their daily lives. The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the transgenerational and intergenerational impact of military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on academic success in college students in the United States. This non-experimental, quantitative research design utilized both descriptive and correlational data analysis. Self-report measures and grade point average (GPA) provided the data from a total of 67 participants, as determined by an a priori analysis, for the results and subsequent discussion sections. Participants were recruited through a variety of sources using snowballing and purposive sampling methods. The literature review highlights some of the considerations between people with a close relationship with a service member with PTSD. As of the writing of this dissertation, the targeted population was innovative because there was no known research that examined the collegiate academic success of caregivers with respect to their relationship with their service member with military-related PTSD. The college students of interest for this study included spouses, adult children, parents, friends, siblings, or other significant people who identify as caregivers to a service member with military-related PTSD. The implications of this study were intended to enhance the lives of this population by acknowledging the impact of this relationship on their academic success and offering a way forward to implement supports that may be beneficial to future college students from this population.

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