title: Couple/family therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: review to facilitate interpretation of VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline.
abstract: A well-documented association exists among Veterans' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, family relationship problems, and mental health problems in partners and children of Veterans. This article reviews the recommendations regarding couple/family therapy offered in the newest version of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DOD) VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline  for Management of Post-Traumatic Stress. We then provide a heuristic for clinicians, researchers, and policy makers to consider when incorporating couple/family interventions into Veterans' mental health services. The range of research that has been conducted on couple/family therapy for Veterans with PTSD is reviewed using this heuristic, and suggestions for clinical practice are offered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada. candice.monson@psych.ryerson.ca
authors.forename: Candice M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Monson
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown-Bowers
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D019546:Couples Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006077:Government Agencies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*