Racial disparities in trauma exposure, psychiatric symptoms, and service use among female patients in Veterans Affairs primary care clinics.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to compare female African-American (n = 84) and Caucasian (n = 99) veterans from primary care clinics at 4 Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) on rates of trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, other psychiatric diagnoses, functional status, and use of VA services and disability benefits.


METHODS
Analyses were based on a cross-sectional, epidemiologic design incorporating self-report measures, structured interviews, and chart reviews.


RESULTS
With the exception of higher rates of child sexual abuse among Caucasian women and higher rates of physical assault among African-American women, there were no other statistically significant racial differences across analyses. However, some clinically meaningful trends emerged, and the implications of these findings are discussed within the context of our other results.


CONCLUSIONS
Among female veterans seen in VA primary care clinics, African-Americans and Caucasians do not differ dramatically with regard to the manifestation or severity of psychopathology, or in their use of relevant VA health care services and disability benefits. These data are important because women represent the fastest growing segment of the VA population after aging veterans. Further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings to ensure that female veterans' needs are adequately identified and met by VAMC providers.
Grubaugh
Anouk L
AL
Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
Slagle
David M
DM
Long
Mary
M
Frueh
B Christopher
BC
Magruder
Kathryn M
KM
D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040921:Stress Disorders, Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data