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BUFFALO, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 10/17/12 -- Military spouse website SalutetoSpouses.com today announced a new webinar in its yearlong "Salute to Homecoming" campaign. The webinar, titled "How to Recognize PTSD and Keep it from Ruining Your Marriage," will be held on October 24 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. EDT. By highlighting signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how the disorder affects a military couple's relationship, the webinar will dive deep into an issue impacting the lives of many military families.

The webinar's featured speaker is Nicole Pukay-Martin, PhD. Dr. Pukay-Martin received her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she specialized in couple-based interventions, psychopathology and health problems. Dr. Pukay-Martin is completing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University. Her current research and clinical interests involve examining the interpersonal effects of PTSD and couple-based treatments for PTSD. She is part of a team investigating interpersonal factors involved with the development and maintenance of PTSD. She is also assisting with a trial of Cognitive Behavioral Conjoint Therapy for PTSD versus Prolonged Exposure among U.S. troops.

PTSD continues to be a pervasive condition among veterans. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD estimates 11-20 percent of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars develop PTSD.

"The instances of diagnosed PTSD are increasing and with troop draw downs and overall military cut backs, the effects are impacting family life more than ever," said Allison Perkins, SalutetoSpouses.com editor and military spouse. "This is an important issue to our military spouse community. Too many spouses feel helpless or lost trying to support a spouse with PTSD. This webinar will talk about the real issues and provide some pragmatic strategies to managing the disorder."

The webinar is complimentary for all military spouses and their families. Military spouses interested in attending are invited to register on the Salute to Spouses website at http://www.salutetospouses.com/webinars.

SalutetoSpouses.com is an online resource edited by military spouses for military spouses that features personal stories, advice, tool and tips. The site was launched in 2011 as a complement to Bryant & Stratton College's Salute to Spouses Scholarship, which provides eligible spouses up to $6,000 for online degree programs or campus-based programs at select campuses offered by the College. All Salute to Spouses Scholarship recipients must meet Bryant & Stratton College scholarship guidelines to receive the full award. In 2012, SalutetoSpouses.com initiated the "Salute to Homecoming" campaign in order to provide specific resources around navigating the highs and lows of military homecoming and reintegration.