Childhood Traumas More Common in Military Members [ABCNews.com]

[Photo: USNavy]

Childhood traumas are more common among military members and veterans than among civilians, according to a new study. Researchers say the results support the notion that for some, enlistment serves as an escape from troubled upbringings.

The study is the largest to examine how common bad childhood experiences are among military men and women. Disparities were most striking among men during the volunteer era: More than 25 percent had experienced at least four childhood traumas, versus about 13 percent of civilian men.

"These results suggest that, since the beginning of the all-volunteer U.S. military in 1973, there has been a meaningful shift in childhood experiences among men who have served in the military," said lead author John Blosnich, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System. He said research is needed "to explore whether the differences in adverse childhood experiences are associated with health outcomes among men and women with military service history."

Nearly 10,000 current and former service members — mostly men — were included, plus about 51,000 civilians. The authors note the results came from government surveys in 10 states and Washington, D.C., and may not be nationally representative.

The events studied included unwanted sexual contact, exposure to domestic violence, household drug use, incarcerated family members and parents' divorce.