It doesn't only concern people suffering from PTSD, but the term basically applies to them.
Having said that, it is important to identify mental health problems in the family, in spouses and in children, because such problems can have repercussions for them and manifest themselves in different ways.
As far as I know, soldiers do not easily talk to their spouses about what they are experiencing, or the events they were exposed to, often out of fear of contaminating or traumatizing them. If they don't talk about these things, their spouse will not understand why they are in that state or the magnitude of the problems they seem to be experiencing. Often they suffer from the isolation and emotional detachment of their spouse, because they have trouble talking about their problems. As well, post-traumatic stress means they also have trouble feeling positive emotions. That means, for example, receiving and giving affection, having sexual relations, and so on. There are a number of components.
Soldiers or people coping with PTSD often report that they are more irritable with their children. They are less tolerant of bad behaviour, which has a fairly important impact on the family. We obviously have to look after them.
It can even go further than that. Studies conducted on Vietnam war veterans show that there is more domestic violence and domestic dissatisfaction among members of this group. Is this domestic violence the result of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder? It most probably is, at least in part, and perhaps completely.
So, we have to deal with this problem. Spousal separation is not always disastrous. Some of you are most certainly separated or divorced, given the general trend in today's society. When our spouse ends up leaving us or wanting to separate because of our mental health problems, that is even more difficult to accept. The impact of a possible separation on a veteran must also be taken into consideration.
It would also be a good idea to screen close family members for mental health problems, and to look at family or spousal health.