ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although there are effective evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many individuals drop out or do not benefit from treatment. There is a need for new treatments, including approaches that are nontrauma focused. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this program evaluation was to investigate the acceptability of a Wellness Group designed to promote healthy behaviors and adaptive coping when offered to veterans with PTSD. METHODS: Nine veterans in a PTSD outpatient clinic enrolled in a 12-week, 24-session Wellness Group. Acceptability of the intervention was evaluated with attendance data, questionnaires, and interviews. RESULTS: Group attendance rates were high and no participants dropped out of treatment. Treatment satisfaction was high and all veterans reported gains in at least 3 of the 8 Wellness domains covered. Interview data supported the findings that veterans had positive reactions to the group. CONCLUSION: A Wellness approach may offer a low-cost alternative or supplementary treatment for veterans with PTSD that is highly acceptable and may improve health behaviors, quality of life, and coping skills.
ABSTRACT
Trauma-focused, evidence-based psychotherapies (TF-EBPs) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been widely promoted in the Veterans Health Administration to provide access to state-of-the-art treatments, but dropout rates may affect the impact of TF-EBPs. The current study summarizes findings from a program evaluation of 67 veterans assigned to trauma-focused treatment in a Veterans Affairs outpatient PTSD clinic. Outcomes of interest include attendance rates, dropout rates and patterns, treatment paths, changes in self-reported symptoms, and clinician ratings. Nine veterans (13.4%) did not attend a first session and 15 (22.4%) dropped out before session 4. Twenty-three (33.8%) received either a modified version of the TF-EBP or switched to a different treatment. Only 11 (16.4%) completed the assigned TF-EBP, but 10 of those 11 (90.9%) were rated by their therapist as improved. These results align with previous research documenting high dropout rates from PTSD treatment in veterans and substantial improvements for those who complete TF-EBPs. Future study of methods to enhance retention in TF-EBP treatments is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).
