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Learning Objective 1: Describe at least three barriers to PTSD treatment-seeking among female Veterans who experienced military sexual trauma
Learning Objective 2: Describe the relationships among situational factors that influence PTSD treatment-seeking among female Veterans who experienced military sexual trauma
Significance: MST is reported by 20%-40% of female veterans, approximately 50% of whom will develop PTSD.1,2 Despite the prevalence of MST and PTSD, little is known about factors that influence PTSD treatment-seeking in this vulnerable population, e.g. barriers, facilitators, and expectations. These factors may not align with current evidence-based PTSD treatments and programs.
Methods: Data are being collected from female veterans who reported MST and have and have not sought PTSD treatment in a southeastern Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center (target sample size = 50). Data are being analyzed using situational analysis, a modified version of grounded theory. In situational analysis, the interrelatedness of various elements in the situation is explicated, e.g., the social, political, cultural, and economic arenas in which female veterans with PTSD are referred for PTSD treatment. The traditional constant comparative analysis of grounded theory is being used,3 along with conceptual and visual mapping of the relationships among multiple situational factors.4
Results: For women who sought PTSD treatment, the mean time between the MST and beginning treatment was 28.1 years. For this sub-set, the male-dominated structures and cultures of the military and the VA served as barriers to seeking PTSD treatment earlier. The circumstances surrounding the MST strongly influenced disclosure of MST and subsequent decisions to seek PTSD treatment.
Limitations: Results presented here include only data from those who sought PTSD treatment within the VA. Therefore, they may not be generalizable to non-VA using female veterans and to female VA-users who declined treatment.
Implications: Understanding the factors that influence PTSD treatment-seeking among female veterans who experienced MST is critical in the development of effective patient-centered outreach and treatment programs.
See more of: Oral Paper & Poster: Science Sessions