Aims: Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) is defined as the subsequent behavioral and emotional consequences of knowing that a traumatic event is experienced by an important person in life. Confronting these psychiatric conditions, possessing the traits and empowering internal resources on one hand and the presence of problems affecting the quality of life of hidden trauma victims on the other hand, can lead to different outcomes in traumatic stress disorder sufferers. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to design and develop a model related to the antecedents and psychological consequences of secondary traumatic stress disorder in veterans ‘spouses.

Materials & Methods: This descriptive study is a correlation study that deals with the modeling of structural relationships based on the partial least squares method. The study population consisted of 152 spouses of war veterans (women) with secondary traumatic stress disorder in Kermanshah province, Iran. Participants were included in the study through available sampling. Pittsburgh Sleep Questionnaire, Short Form of Sexual Self-Esteem Index (validated by Farrokhi and Fluid), Reiss et al. Self-Success Questionnaire, Ego Power Psychological Scale, and Secondary Injury Scale (validated by Rezapour Mirsaleh and Ahmadi) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25 and Smart PLS 3.2.8 statistical methods, coefficients of coefficient and regression coefficient and data model fit indices.

Findings: The fitting of the proposed model in the present study, from its structural dimension based on F2<0.15, Q2<0.002 and R2<0.33, and from the general dimension with respect to GoF=0.650 indicates strong fit in dimension. It was a whole model. T-Value<1.97 and coefficients of β path showed a significant and causal relationship between variables except ego power path with β=-0.009 and T-value=0.155.

Conclusion: Secondary traumatic stress disorder is influenced by personality traits (ego strength and self-esteem) and also affects sleep quality and sexual self-esteem. In addition, the results indicated that the conceptual model under study had acceptable empirical support for data fitting.