TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender Differences in Service Utilization among OEF/OIF Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder after a Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Intervention to Increase Treatment Engagement
T2 - A Mixed Methods Study
AU - Gallegos, Autumn M.
AU - Wolff, Kristina B.
AU - Streltzov, Nicholas A.
AU - Adams, Leslie B.
AU - Carpenter-Song, Elizabeth
AU - Nicholson, Joanne
AU - Stecker, Tracy
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by grant R01 MH086939 from the National Institute of Mental Health . The writing of this manuscript was funded in part by the VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention in Canandaigua, New York. The authors' views or opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health.
PY - 2015/9/1
Y1 - 2015/9/1
N2 - Purpose: Women veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF]) have a moderately higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than male veterans. However, gender disparities in treatment engagement may prevent women veterans from initiating the care they need. Understanding gender differences in predictors of and barriers to treatment is essential to improving engagement and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in treatment utilization after a brief, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention among male and female OEF/OIF veterans. Methods: Participants were assigned randomly to either the intervention or control conditions. Intervention participants received the telephone-based CBT intervention. Participants were 35 female and 238 male OEF/OIF veterans who screened positive for PTSD and had never initiated PTSD treatment. Participants were asked about treatment utilization, beliefs about PTSD treatment, and symptoms at months 1, 3, and 6 months subsequent to the baseline telephone assessment. The PTSD Checklist-Military Version was used to assess PTSD and the Patient's Health Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms of depression. Findings: Female veterans who received an intervention were significantly more likely to have attended treatment over the 6-month follow-up period than male veterans who received an intervention (χ2 = 7.91; df = 3; odds ratio, 3.93; p = .04). Conclusions: The CBT intervention may be a critical mechanism to engage female veterans in treatment. Further research is needed to understand how to engage male veterans with PTSD in treatment.
AB - Purpose: Women veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF]) have a moderately higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than male veterans. However, gender disparities in treatment engagement may prevent women veterans from initiating the care they need. Understanding gender differences in predictors of and barriers to treatment is essential to improving engagement and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in treatment utilization after a brief, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention among male and female OEF/OIF veterans. Methods: Participants were assigned randomly to either the intervention or control conditions. Intervention participants received the telephone-based CBT intervention. Participants were 35 female and 238 male OEF/OIF veterans who screened positive for PTSD and had never initiated PTSD treatment. Participants were asked about treatment utilization, beliefs about PTSD treatment, and symptoms at months 1, 3, and 6 months subsequent to the baseline telephone assessment. The PTSD Checklist-Military Version was used to assess PTSD and the Patient's Health Questionnaire was used to assess symptoms of depression. Findings: Female veterans who received an intervention were significantly more likely to have attended treatment over the 6-month follow-up period than male veterans who received an intervention (χ2 = 7.91; df = 3; odds ratio, 3.93; p = .04). Conclusions: The CBT intervention may be a critical mechanism to engage female veterans in treatment. Further research is needed to understand how to engage male veterans with PTSD in treatment.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.whi.2015.04.008
DO - 10.1016/j.whi.2015.04.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 26051022
AN - SCOPUS:84941316982
SN - 1049-3867
VL - 25
SP - 542
EP - 547
JO - Women's Health Issues
JF - Women's Health Issues
IS - 5
ER -