title: Predicting engagement in psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, or both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy among returning veterans seeking PTSD treatment.
abstract: Both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy are effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Better understanding factors that are associated with engaging in these different treatment options may improve treatment utilization and outcomes. This issue is especially important among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, given high rates of those seeking PTSD treatment. This study examined potential predictors of the type of treatment (psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, or both) 232 returning veterans (92% male, mean age = 33.38) engaged in within 1 year of seeking treatment at a VA PTSD clinic. Results indicated that 32.3% of returning veterans engaged in pharmacotherapy only, 23.7% engaged in psychotherapy only, and 44.0% engaged in both. Veterans who engaged in pharmacotherapy only or in both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy had higher pretreatment PTSD and depression symptoms than did those who engaged in psychotherapy only. History of pharmacotherapy treatment was associated with engagement in pharmacotherapy only or both pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, as compared with psychotherapy only. Treatment engagement type was not significantly associated with differences in age, gender, race/ethnicity, service branch, alcohol use/misuse, history of psychotherapy, distance from the VA, or PTSD service connection. Implications for enhancing PTSD treatment engagement are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System.
authors.forename: Moira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System.
authors.forename: Ursula S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, University of San Diego.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6199-6145
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McKnight
authors.affiliation: VA San Diego Healthcare System.
authors.forename: Abigail C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Angkaw
authors.affiliation: VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health.
authors.forename: Sonya B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Norman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*