Considerations for treating military-affiliated patients for PTSD in community clinics

Globally, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a significant mental health issue among military service members and veterans. Within the US, around 13% of veterans have a PTSD diagnosis, (Dursa et al., 2014; Eber et al., 2013), with the prevalence of PTSD increasing significantly post-9/11 with conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, resulting in about 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans having PTSD (US Department of Veterans Affairs n.d.). While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides crucial resources for veteran behavioral health care, with the implementation of the Veterans Choice Program and MISSION Act legislation (which provides financial coverage for eligible military-affiliated individuals to engage in mental health services outside the VA) many Veterans seek mental health services through community settings (community-based mental health provider). Despite this, little is known about outcomes among military-affiliated patients in community settings. To better understand these outcomes, our study undertook a direct comparison between civilian and military-affiliated patient outcomes on PTSD and depression symptoms in community settings. To do this we looked at drop-out rates, and used two measures post treatment: PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5); and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).