Introduction: Wives of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as primary caregivers and closest familial figures, encounter numerous and often unavoidable social challenges. If left unaddressed, these difficulties can negatively impact their own well-being and functional capacity, as well as that of their spouses, potentially impairing family functioning and increasing vulnerability to psychosocial crises.
Methods: In this qualitative study conducted in 1402, 11 spouses of veterans with PTSD who referred to the Martyr and Veterans Affairs Foundation Center in Saveh County were purposefully selected. Data were collected through individual, in-depth, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews and simultaneously analyzed using the conventional qualitative content analysis method (Graham and Landman approach) in MAXQDA software, version 2020.
Result: The mean age of participants was 56.7 ± 6.4 years. Data analysis yielded three main categories and six subcategories: relationship disorders (social isolation and restricted interpersonal networks; spiritual disconnection or diminished sense of connection with God), financial burden (high caregiving costs; lack of adequate insurance coverage), and declining social status (perceived societal stigma; experiences of suffering, discrimination, and social inequality).
Conclusion: Spouses of veterans with PTSD face significant social challenges that adversely affect their physical and mental health. These findings underscore the need to empower spouses through targeted social support across educational, caregiving, therapeutic, and emotional domains. It is therefore recommended that health policymakers prioritize the development and implementation of comprehensive, up-to-date interventions that promote holistic well-being—encompassing physical, psychological, spiritual, and social dimensions—for this vulnerable group.