OBJECTIVE: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit high levels of unemployment. The Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers a variety of employment services; however, few veterans with PTSD use these services. Because many veterans with mental health conditions are seen in primary care clinics, employment service needs may be best addressed in this setting. The current study was designed to assess employment status and support needs in VHA primary care patients who screen positive for PTSD. METHOD: In the study, 287 working-age VHA patients with recent primary care use completed web-based surveys that assessed employment status, PTSD symptoms, employment support preferences, and barriers to service usage. RESULTS: Individuals who screened positive for PTSD were less likely to be employed than were those without PTSD (55% vs. 69%; p = .03). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, individuals with PTSD had higher barriers to employment (β = 3.52, p < .001) and higher barriers to employment service use (β = 0.57, p = .02). Only 14% of those with PTSD had used VHA employment services, but 86% said they would use those services. CONCLUSIONS: Although the single site included in the study may not be representative of all VHA primary care clinics, our results suggest that there is high need for and substantial interest in VHA employment services among VHA patients with PTSD. Future work should focus on implementing employment support services for individuals with PTSD in primary care settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
OBJECTIVE: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit high levels of unemployment. The Department of Veterans Affairs' Veterans Health Administration (VHA) offers a variety of employment services; however, few veterans with PTSD use these services. Because many veterans with mental health conditions are seen in primary care clinics, employment service needs may be best addressed in this setting. The current study was designed to assess employment status and support needs in VHA primary care patients who screen positive for PTSD. METHOD: In the study, 287 working-age VHA patients with recent primary care use completed web-based surveys that assessed employment status, PTSD symptoms, employment support preferences, and barriers to service usage. RESULTS: Individuals who screened positive for PTSD were less likely to be employed than were those without PTSD (55% vs. 69%; p = .03). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, individuals with PTSD had higher barriers to employment (β = 3.52, p < .001) and higher barriers to employment service use (β = 0.57, p = .02). Only 14% of those with PTSD had used VHA employment services, but 86% said they would use those services. CONCLUSIONS: Although the single site included in the study may not be representative of all VHA primary care clinics, our results suggest that there is high need for and substantial interest in VHA employment services among VHA patients with PTSD. Future work should focus on implementing employment support services for individuals with PTSD in primary care settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
Authors: Lisa Mueller; William R Wolfe; Thomas C Neylan; Shannon E McCaslin; Rachel Yehuda; Janine D Flory; Tassos C Kyriakides; Rich Toscano; Lori L Davis Journal: Psychiatr Rehabil J Date: 2019-04-01
Authors: Lori L Davis; Tassos C Kyriakides; Alina M Suris; Lisa A Ottomanelli; Lisa Mueller; Pamela E Parker; Sandra G Resnick; Richard Toscano; Alexandra A Scrymgeour; Robert E Drake Journal: JAMA Psychiatry Date: 2018-04-01 Impact factor: 21.596
Authors: Charles R Marmar; Adam D Brown; Meng Qian; Eugene Laska; Carole Siegel; Meng Li; Duna Abu-Amara; Andreas Tsiartas; Colleen Richey; Jennifer Smith; Bruce Knoth; Dimitra Vergyri Journal: Depress Anxiety Date: 2019-04-22 Impact factor: 6.505
Authors: Catherine L Tegeler; Lee Gerdes; Hossam A Shaltout; Jared F Cook; Sean L Simpson; Sung W Lee; Charles H Tegeler Journal: Mil Med Res Date: 2017-12-22
Authors: Stephanie Y Wells; Carolyn L Brennan; Elizabeth E Van Voorhees; Jean C Beckham; Patrick S Calhoun; Carolina P Clancy; Michael A Hertzberg; Kirsten H Dillon Journal: J Trauma Stress Date: 2021-06-06