Mental Health Service Utilization before and after Receipt of a Service-Connected Disability Award for PTSD: Findings from a National Sample.

Objective: To determine patterns of mental health service use before and after VA disability compensation awards for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Data Sources: A 10 percent random sample of VHA-enrolled Veterans with new or increased PTSD service connection between 2012 and 2014 (n = 22,249).

Study Design: We used latent trajectory analysis to identify utilization patterns and multinomial logistic regression to assess associations between Veteran characteristics and trajectory membership.

Integrative outpatient treatment for returning service members.

Veterans returning from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) frequently present with multiple psychological and physical symptoms. The authors propose an innovative approach in which primary care providers, polytrauma specialists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and mental health clinicians work together to provide care that is not simply concurrent, but truly integrated. All members of this interdisciplinary team must provide a consistent message that supports treatment engagement and progress.