Psychotherapy Utilization, Preferences, and Retention among Women Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Women's Health Issues : Official Publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
Courtney C FarmerRachel Kimerling

Abstract

Psychotherapy is the gold standard treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet psychotherapy use and retention among veterans is low. Little is known about the barriers to care and factors associated with women veterans' PTSD psychotherapy use and retention. Using a nationally representative sample of 986 women Veterans Health Administration primary care users with PTSD and a perceived need for mental health care, we examined 1) the proportion of women who used psychotherapy, 2) retention in psychotherapy among women who used any psychotherapy, and 3) individual factors related to psychotherapy use and retention. Women completed a survey on their mental health care experiences. Outpatient mental health care use in the year before the survey was obtained from Veterans Health Administration administrative data. Most women (79.1%) used psychotherapy, and 41.7% of those women had a minimal therapeutic dose of psychotherapy (≥8 visits). Mental health diagnostic comorbidity and being African American/Black or identifying as neither African American/Black nor White were significantly associated with higher psychotherapy use. Mental health diagnostic comorbidity, exposure to military sexual trauma, and receiving treatment ...Continue Reading

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