Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb 1;61(2):87-94.
doi: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001793. Epub 2023 Jan 11.

Treatment Utilization for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a National Sample of Veterans and Nonveterans

Rachel M Ranney  1   2   3 , Shira Maguen  1   2 , Paul A Bernhard  4 , Nicholas Holder  1   2 , Dawne Vogt  5   6 , John R Blosnich  7   8 , Aaron I Schneiderman  4
Affiliations

Treatment Utilization for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in a National Sample of Veterans and Nonveterans

Rachel M Ranney et al. Med Care. .

Abstract

Objective: The current study sought to compare rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment utilization (medication and psychotherapy) among veterans and nonveterans-and to investigate which factors are associated with treatment utilization among veterans versus nonveterans.

Methods: Participants were 2775 individuals (veteran, n=2508; nonveteran, n=267) meeting criteria for probable PTSD (determined by the PTSD Checklist) drawn from a nationwide, population-based survey. Participants reported demographic information, trauma history, mental health symptoms, insurance coverage, and treatment history.

Results: Analyses revealed that the majority of veterans and nonveterans with probable PTSD had not received any PTSD treatment (56% of veterans and 86% of nonveterans). Population-weighted logistic regression models demonstrated that veterans with probable PTSD were substantially more likely to receive medication and psychotherapy for PTSD than nonveterans with probable PTSD. Logistic regression models demonstrated that, among veterans, having Veterans Affairs health care coverage was most strongly associated with receiving PTSD medication and psychotherapy. Black (vs. White) veterans were less likely to have received PTSD medication and psychotherapy. In contrast, among nonveterans, being married or divorced (vs. never married) was most strongly associated with receiving PTSD medication, and reporting a history of sexual trauma was most strongly associated with receiving PTSD psychotherapy.

Conclusion: Given that most individuals do not receive PTSD treatment, additional understanding of treatment barriers and facilitators for both veterans and nonveterans is needed to improve intervention reach.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Hoge CW, Grossman SH, Auchterlonie JL, et al. PTSD treatment for soldiers after combat deployment: low utilization of mental health care and reasons for dropout. Psychiatr Serv. 2014;65:997–1004.
    1. Sripada RK, Pfeiffer PN, Rauch SA, et al. Social support and mental health treatment among persons with PTSD: results of a nationally representative survey. Psychiatr Serv. 2015;66:65–71.
    1. Doran JM, Pietrzak RH, Hoff R, et al. Psychotherapy utilization and retention in a national sample of veterans with PTSD. J Clin Psychol. 2017;73:1259–1279.
    1. Hebenstreit CL, Madden E, Koo KH, et al. Minimally adequate mental health care and latent classes of PTSD symptoms in female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Psychiatry Res. 2015;230:90–95.
    1. Mansfield AJ, Greenbaum MA, Schaper KM, et al. PTSD care among veterans with and without co-occurring substance use disorders. Psychiatr Serv. 2017;68:632–635.

Publication types

MeSH terms

-