Disordered eating is a prevalent and relevant health concern that remains understudied among U.S. military veterans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDecades of research have demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) for a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses, resulting in the inclusion of CBT as a first-line evidence-based practice (EBP) in treatment guidelines for mood and anxiety disorders. However, some research suggests that many providers do not implement EBPs as intended. Ongoing quality monitoring is needed to support EBP implementation and sustainability, but "gold standard" fidelity monitoring (e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Veterans transitioning to civilian life often have chronic pain from service-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) with higher risk for substance misuse. Many seek VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) compensation for MSD. Use of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment for Pain Management (SBIRT-PM) by VA Post-9/11 Military2VA (M2VA) case managers presents an opportunity to engage these veterans in VA pain care and address substance misuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Measuring patient well-being during clinical care may enhance patient-centered communication and treatment planning. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) piloted the use of the Well-Being Signs (WBS), a self-report measure of psychosocial well-being, in clinical care.
Objective: To understand early WBS implementation and health care team member experiences with its use before developing detailed support materials and finalizing the measure.
Objectives: In 2023, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration convened a State of the Art meeting to evaluate the existing evidence and make recommendations for measuring the well-being of the whole person in clinical care, health research, and population health evaluation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Trauma exposure, particularly interpersonal trauma, is prevalent among individuals with eating disorders (EDs), and trauma exposure and the subsequent development of posttraumatic stress disorder have been associated with poorer outcomes for ED treatment. To our knowledge, there are no published investigations of trauma exposure among individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a new diagnosis introduced by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. We investigated associations between trauma exposure and ARFID profiles in a sample of U.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The purpose of the study was to compare lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ (LGBTQ+) veterans' and nonveterans' prevalence of potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and other stressor exposures, mental health concerns, and mental health treatment.
Method: A subsample of veterans and nonveterans who identified as LGBTQ+ ( = 1,291; 851 veterans; 440 nonveterans) were identified from a national cohort of post-9/11 veterans and matched nonveterans. Majority of the sample identified as White (59.
The present study sought to investigate whether gender moderates the relationship between military sexual trauma (MST) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment utilization, among veterans with clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Participants were 2,664 veterans with probable PTSD from a nationwide, population-based survey. Participants reported sociodemographic information, history of MST (including military sexual harassment and military sexual assault), and lifetime receipt of PTSD psychotherapy and medication treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Comorbidity between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and disordered eating (DE) symptoms is common, reflecting a possible reciprocal relationship between these disorders. Network analysis may reveal candidate mechanisms underlying their comorbidity and highlight important treatment targets.
Method: Two national samples of U.
Background: Older Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are often socially isolated and have complex comorbid physical health problems. Aging-related stressors can exacerbate PTSD symptoms. These factors contribute to greater impairment in social functioning and decreased quality of life (QoL).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVeterans who do not know about their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis experience a fundamental barrier to accessing effective treatment. Little is known about the characteristics that influence veterans' PTSD diagnosis knowledge (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted life around the globe and negatively impacted mental health (MH), including among military veterans. Building on previous research with U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAppl Psychol Health Well Being
May 2024
Meaning in life refers to the "sense made of, and significance felt regarding, the nature of one's being and existence." Meaningful living promotes well-being, resilience, and personal growth. Yet, much remains unknown about how meaning changes over time and determinants of meaning, particularly during major life transitions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Sexual violence (SV) and intimate partner violence (IPV) experiences are major social determinants of adverse health. There is limited prevalence data on these experiences for veterans, particularly across sociodemographic groups.
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of SV before, during, and after military service and lifetime and past-year IPV for women and men, and explore differences across sociodemographic groups.
Objective: Weight discrimination, defined as mistreatment of people based on body weight, is associated with body image concerns and eating disorder (ED) symptoms. Military veterans are particularly vulnerable to developing ED symptoms, which may be due to experiences of weight discrimination resulting from the military's strict weight and fitness requirements. However, no previous study has examined these associations among veterans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite Veterans Health Administration (VHA) efforts, many Veterans do not receive minimally adequate psychotherapy (MAP) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is important to understand factors associated with receipt of PTSD MAP (at least eight sessions) so that we may tailor efforts to increase treatment utilization for those who experience the greatest barriers to care.
Methods: Participants were 2008 post-9/11 Veterans who participated in a nationwide survey and had a PTSD diagnosis documented in the VHA electronic health record (EHR) before 2018.
Revisions to the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) criteria in the DSM-5 included a new criterion in the alterations in arousal and reactivity cluster (i.e., engagement in reckless and self-destructive behaviors; Criterion E2).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Social determinants of health (SDoH) refer to the conditions in the environments in which people live that affect health outcomes and risks. SDoH may provide proximal, actionable targets for interventions. This study examined how SDoH are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms among Veterans and non-Veterans with probable PTSD or depression.
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