A Systematic Approach to the Detection of False PTSD.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur after a traumatic experience and can cause severe symptoms that interfere with a person's psychological, physical, interpersonal, occupational, and social functioning. It is important to accurately identify genuine cases of PTSD and, as part of the differential diagnosis, to rule out instances of false PTSD. False PTSD diagnoses can adversely affect treatment planning, resource management, and research. The subjective nature of stressors, stereotypic presentation of symptoms, wealth of resources detailing how to malinger PTSD, and the high stakes for individuals involved in criminal, civil, and disability evaluations create challenges for making an accurate diagnosis. This article presents a systematic approach to help clinicians and forensic evaluators distinguish genuine PTSD from false variants of the disorder. It describes the types of false PTSD to be considered as alternative diagnoses, including malingered PTSD (for external gain, such as receiving a disability pension or evading criminal consequences), factitious PTSD (for internal gain, such as assuming the victim or hero/veteran role), and misattributed PTSD (legitimate psychopathology misdiagnosed as PTSD). The authors describe clinical features and psychological testing that may be leveraged to aid in reaching a more valid diagnosis.

Safer Housing for Homeless Women Veterans.

Homeless women veterans face unique vulnerability and significant mental health needs; it is important for their housing to include gender-specific safety measures. Providers of supportive housing for veterans can take important steps to accommodate the women they serve, including providing separate housing facilities or areas for women. More than half of all homeless women veterans were sexually assaulted during their military service, and many exhibit mental health disabilities as a result, which provides a strong legal basis for requiring gender-based accommodations. While significant progress has been made in addressing the needs of veterans who were sexually assaulted during their military service, the unique needs of homeless women veterans are still often overlooked. This oversight has consequences, particularly in the permanent supportive housing context, where male veterans significantly outnumber female veterans. Currently, there are no required minimum standards or safeguards for serving women veterans in these facilities, and most facilities provide no appropriate gender-specific accommodations. This failure persists despite the significant prior history of sexual assaults among this population and their extremely small number in veteran-only housing. Without basic gender-specific safeguards, permanent supportive housing facilities could worsen the mental health of homeless women veterans and expose them to further harm.