Reengagement in PTSD psychotherapy: A case-control study.

Buchholz KR, Bohnert KM, Pfeiffer PN, Valenstein M, Ganoczy D, Anderson RE, Sripada RK. Reengagement in PTSD psychotherapy: A case-control study. General hospital psychiatry. 2017 Sep 1; 48:20-24.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• CDA 11-245 – VA Healthcare Delivery for OEF/OIF Veterans with Mental & Substance Use Disorders
• CDA 15-251 – Optimizing treatment response in VA Specialized Intensive/Inpatient PTSD programs
• CDA 10-036 – Improving Depression Care Following Psychiatric Hospitalization

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Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to identify patient characteristics and care processes related to reengagement in VA psychotherapy. METHODS: Using national VA data, a retrospective cohort was constructed (N = 24,492) of veterans who received a new PTSD diagnosis in FY08/FY09 and attended only one to five PTSD psychotherapy sessions. A nested case-control study was conducted comparing veterans who reengaged in psychotherapy (n = 9649) in a 1:5 ratio with those who did not reengage by the end of FY12. Conditional logistic regression models were run to examine differences in sociodemographic, mental health, and service utilization factors between cases and controls. RESULTS: Among veterans in the study cohort, 39.4% reengaged in psychotherapy. In adjusted analyses, all measured types of health system encounters (primary care [OR = 1.61], primary care mental health [OR = 1.61], non-PTSD psychotherapy [OR = 1.76], other non-PTSD mental health care [OR = 1.43], other non-psychotherapy PTSD care [OR = 3.31], emergency room [OR = 1.14], and psychiatric hospitalization [OR = 1.56]) were related to greater odds of reengagement in PTSD psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans'' receipt of a broad range of care services may play an important role in reengagement in PCT psychotherapy, suggesting providers across care settings should be knowledgeable in how to support a Veteran''s return to psychotherapy for PTSD.