PTSD symptoms, demographic characteristics, and functional status among veterans treated in VA primary care clinics.
We hypothesized that PTSD symptomatology would have an inverse relationship with functional status and would vary as a function of sociodemographic variables. Primary care patients (N = 513) at two VA Medical Centers were randomly selected and recruited to participate. After adjustment for other demographic variables, PTSD symptom levels were significantly related to age (younger patients had more severe symptoms), employment status (disabled persons had higher symptom levels), war zone experience, and clinic location. PTSD symptomatology was inversely related to mental and physical functioning, even after control for potential confounding. These findings have implications for screening and service delivery in VA primary care clinics, and support the more general finding in the literature that PTSD is associated with impaired functioning.
Magruder
Kathryn M
KM
Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina 29401-5799, USA. magrudkm@musc.edu
Frueh
B Christopher
BC
Knapp
Rebecca G
RG
Johnson
Michael R
MR
Vaughan
James A
JA
Carson
Toni Coleman
TC
Powell
Donald A
DA
Hebert
Renée
R
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*