Michele Spoont|David B. Nelson|Maureen Murdoch|Nina A. Sayer|Sean Nugent|Thomas S. Rector|Joseph Westermeyer
ARE THERE RACIAL/ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN VA PTSD TREATMENT RETENTION?
National Center for PTSD|United States Department of Veterans Affairs|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota|Minneapolis VA Health Care System|University of Minnesota
chronic posttraumatic stress disorder ptsd result significant social physical impairments despite department veterans affairs va expansion mental health services primary care clinics reach larger numbers veterans ptsd many receive sufficient treatment clinically benefit study explored whether odds premature mental health treatment termination varies patient raceethnicity whether variation associated differential access services beliefs mental health treatmentsprospective national cohort study va patients recently diagnosed ptsd n 6788 selfadministered surveys electronic va databases utilized examine mental health treatment retention across racialethnic groups 6 months following ptsd diagnosis controlling treatment need access factors age gender treatment beliefs facility factorsafrican american latino veterans less likely receive minimal trial pharmacotherapy african american veterans less likely receive minimal trial treatment 6 months diagnosed ptsd controlling beliefs mental health treatments diminished lower odds pharmacotherapy retention among latino african american veterans access factors contribute treatment retention disparitieseven safetynet healthcare systems like va racial ethnic disparities mental health treatment occur improve treatment equity clinicians may need directly address patients treatment beliefs understanding needed address treatment disparity african american veterans