Effect of Obstructive Sleep Disorder Treatment on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Literature Review.

Purpose: To explore whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) adherence among adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects the PTSD Checklist (PCL), a validated tool that measures severity of PTSD symptoms.

Method: Studies focusing on PTSD and OSA were searched in PubMed and CINAHL databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, decreasing the article yield to nine.

Engagement in Psychotherapy Improves Outcomes for Veterans.

The longstanding partnership between the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (BVAMC) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing inspired the establishment of one of the country's first psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) residencies and subsequent formation of a Resident Continuity Clinic (RCC). Within the RCC, PMHNP residents deliver evidence-based care that is informed by measurement-based care (MBC) to improve patient outcomes and reduce time to recovery. Determined by the BVAMC Institutional Review Board to be a quality improvement project, PMHNP residents administered the Patient Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), a MBC tool that uses four independently validated screening tools to measure the behavioral health symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and alcohol use.