Making sense of poor adherence in PTSD treatment from the perspectives of veterans and their therapists.

Objective: Dropout rates from trauma-focused PTSD treatments (TFTs) in VA clinics are particularly high. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 29 veterans and their therapists to better understand this phenomenon.

Method: Participants were part of a multisite, mixed-methods study of TFT adherence in VA clinics.

Veterans with poor PTSD treatment adherence: Exploring their loved ones' experience of PTSD and understanding of PTSD treatment.

Trauma-focused psychotherapies such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE) are some of the most effective treatments available for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These treatments have been widely disseminated and promoted throughout the VA Health care System. However, adherence to and completion of these protocols among veterans is often poor, resulting in diminished impact.

Sticking it out in trauma-focused treatment for PTSD: It takes a village.

Objective: One in 3 veterans will dropout from trauma-focused treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Social environments may be particularly important to influencing treatment retention. We examined the role of 2 support system factors in predicting treatment dropout: social control (direct efforts by loved ones to encourage veterans to participate in treatment and face distress) and symptom accommodation (changes in loved ones' behavior to reduce veterans' PTSD-related distress).

Brain boosters: Evaluating a pilot program for memory complaints in veterans.

This study investigated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a pilot program designed to address subjective memory complaints among Veterans. The program, Brain Boosters, consisted of 10 once-weekly group sessions, during which psychoeducation and cognitive enhancement strategies were used to target memory concerns and related processes, specifically attentional difficulties. Given that memory complaints often are associated with psychiatric comorbidities, sessions also incorporated strategies for reducing symptoms of depression, posttraumatic stress, and insomnia.