Symposia
Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders and Disasters
Stephanie Y. Wells, Ph.D.
Research Psychologist
Durham VA Health Care System/VISN 6 Mid-Atlantic MIRECC
Durham, North Carolina
Stephanie Y. Wells, Ph.D.
Research Psychologist
Durham VA Health Care System/VISN 6 Mid-Atlantic MIRECC
Durham, North Carolina
Kathleen M. Grubbs, Ph.D.
Staff Psychologist
VA San Diego Healthcare System/University of California, San Diego
San Diego, California
Kayla Knopp, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
VA San Diego Health Care System
San Diego, California
Eric Dedert, PhD
Psychologist
Durham VA Health Care System
Durham, North Carolina
George Jackson, PhD, MHA
Research Health Scientist
Durham VA Health Care System
Durham, North Carolina
Shannon Kehle-Forbes, PhD
Psychologist
Minneapolis VA Health Care System
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Leslie Morland, PsyD
Professor
University of California-San Diego/San Diego VA
la Jolla, California
Cognitive behavioral conjoint therapy (CBCT; Monson & Fredman, 2012) and PTSD Family Education (PFE; Sautter et al., 2014) are two couples treatments designed to target posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Veterans. There is little research examining Veterans’ preferences for different couples-based PTSD treatments (trauma-focused vs. psychoeducation) or for different treatment delivery modalities (in-person vs. home-based telehealth). Understanding the factors that are important to Veterans when identifying preferences for couples-based PTSD treatments can inform policy decisions around which treatments and modalities to offer to Veterans and how to match patients to preferred treatments. Prior studies suggest that matching patients with their preferred treatment can improve outcomes (Le et al., 2018; Zoellner et al., 2019). This study aimed to 1) determine Veterans’ preferred treatment; 2) determine Veterans’ preferred delivery modality; and 3) identify factors associated with Veterans’ preferences.
This study included 170 Veterans seeking treatment for couples-based PTSD treatment through a randomized controlled trial. Veterans completed a treatment preference questionnaire including short answers to explain their preferences prior to treatment assignment.
Significantly more Veterans preferred CBCT (60%; X2 (1, N = 169) = 7.25, p = .07) compared to PFE (40%). Veterans prefer CBCT because they believe it could improve intimate relationships and promote skill-building. Veterans prefer PFE because it promotes knowledge for the Veterans and partner and because they believe it could improve intimate relationships. There were no significant differences in how many Veterans preferred in-person treatment compared to videoconferencing. Roughly half preferred in-person (51%) and almost half preferred videoconferencing (49%). Veterans who preferred in-person care believe it promotes greater intimacy and would lead to fewer distractions than at home. Veterans who preferred telehealth like the flexible scheduling, decreased logistical barriers, and comfort of home. Additional analyses will be conducted to examine individual factors associated with preference.
CBCT is an evidence-based treatment that is preferred by a majority of Veterans in this study. Offering numerous delivery modalities for treatments can increase the likelihood of matching Veterans with treatment approach and modality.