State of the Knowledge of VA Military Sexual Trauma Research.

Despite substantial efforts to counter sexual assault and harassment in the military, both remain persistent in the Armed Services. In February 2021, President Biden directed the U.S. Department of Defense to establish a 90-day Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military (IRC) to assess the department's efforts and make actionable recommendations. As servicemembers discharge from the military, effects of military sexual trauma (MST) are often seen in the Veterans Health Administration (VA). In response to an IRC inquiry about VA MST research, we organized an overview on prevalence, adverse consequences, and evidence-based treatments targeting the sequelae of MST. Women are significantly more likely to experience MST than their male counterparts. Other groups with low societal and institutional power (e.g., lower rank) are also at increased risk. Although not all MST survivors experience long-term adverse consequences, for many, they can be significant, chronic, and enduring and span mental and physical health outcomes, as well as cumulative impairments in functioning. Adverse consequences of MST come with commonalities shared with sexual trauma in other settings (e.g., interpersonal betrayal, victim-blaming) as well as unique aspects of the military context, where experiences of interpersonal betrayal may be compounded by perceptions of institutional betrayal (e.g., fear of reprisal or ostracism, having to work/live alongside a perpetrator). MST's most common mental health impact is posttraumatic stress disorder, which rarely occurs in isolation, and may coincide with major depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use disorders, and increased suicidality. Physical health impacts include greater chronic disease burden (e.g., hypertension), and impaired reproductive health and sexual functioning. Advances in treatment include evidence-based psychotherapies and novel approaches relying on mind-body interventions and peer support. Nonetheless, much work is needed to enhance detection, access, care, and support or even the best interventions will not be effective.

Computerized Intervention in Primary Care for Women Veterans with Sexual Assault Histories and Psychosocial Health Risks: a Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Sexual assault is a public health concern for women and is associated with subsequent psychosocial health risks of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), hazardous drinking, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Sexual assault is associated with social stigma and other barriers shown to inhibit one from seeking mental health care. Digital health technologies may overcome these barriers. OBJECTIVE: To test the impact of a brief computerized intervention delivered in primary care to reduce health risks and increase mental health treatment utilization among women with histories of sexual assault and current health risks. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The Safe and Healthy Experiences (SHE) program was tested in a randomized controlled trial with N = 153 women veterans at a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) medical center, and they completed assessments at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. INTERVENTION: SHE is a brief motivational interviewing and psychoeducation-based computerized intervention. SHE was compared to a screen and referral-only control condition. MAIN MEASURES: Health risks were measured via validated self-report instruments. Treatment initiation and utilization were measured via self-report and chart review. RESULTS: SHE did not impact women's number of health risks (all p's > .05). However, women randomized to SHE showed significantly greater increases in treatment use compared to women in the control group, as measured by chart review (χ2 (1, n = 153) = 4.38, p = .036, rs = .16), and self-report (χ2 (1, n = 130) = 5.89, p = .015, rs = .21). SHE was found to be an acceptable intervention. CONCLUSIONS: SHE was effective in improving mental health treatment initiation and utilization compared to a control group. Computer-based interventions to address sexual trauma and its consequences are acceptable, are highly scalable, and can add value to primary care with little cost or increase in provider time. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02957747.

The impact of military sexual trauma on parent-infant bonding in a sample of perinatal women veterans.

BACKGROUND: The experience of sexual assault and harassment during military service (military sexual trauma [MST]) is associated with increased risk for perinatal and reproductive health problems among women veterans. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between mothers' MST exposure and mother-infant bonding, as well as to examine whether there are any salient sociodemographic or military service characteristics among women veterans with greater impairment to mother-infant bonding, including stress during pregnancy and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from prospective, longitudinal study of women veterans using VHA maternity care benefits at 15 VHA medical centers across the US between January 2016 and February 2020. Participants were 697 pregnant veterans using VHA maternity care benefits. RESULTS: MST was associated with higher maternal depression, and higher maternal depression was associated with poorer mother-infant bonding. The effect of MST on bonding was indirect through depression. PTSD diagnosis and life stressors during pregnancy also had significant indirect pathways with bonding through maternal depression. CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore the need for access to high quality and trauma-informed perinatal mental health treatment for women veterans, for education on the unique risks conveyed by MST provided to civilian providers treating this population outside VA, and for further research to understand how to ameliorate the harmful effects of MST on perinatal women veterans and their children.

Computerized Psychological Interventions in Veterans and Service Members: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Computerized psychological interventions can overcome logistical and psychosocial barriers to the use of mental health care in the Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense settings. OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review, we aim to outline the existing literature, with the goal of describing: the scope and quality of the available literature, intervention characteristics, study methods, study efficacy, and study limitations and potential directions for future research. METHODS: Systematic searches of two databases (PsycINFO and PubMed) using PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines were conducted from inception until November 15, 2020. The following inclusion criteria were used: the study was published in an English language peer-reviewed journal, participants were randomly allocated to a computerized psychological intervention or a control group (non-computerized psychological intervention active treatment or nonactive control group), an intervention in at least one treatment arm was primarily delivered through the computer or internet with or without additional support, participants were veterans or service members, and the study used validated measures to examine the effect of treatment on psychological outcomes. RESULTS: This review included 23 studies that met the predefined inclusion criteria. Most studies were at a high risk of bias. Targeted outcomes, participant characteristics, type of support delivered, adherence, and participant satisfaction were described. Most of the examined interventions (19/24, 79%) yielded positive results. Study limitations included participant characteristics limiting study inference, high rates of attrition, and an overreliance on self-reported outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively few high-quality studies were identified, and more rigorous investigations are needed. Several recommendations for future research are discussed, including the adoption of methods that minimize attrition, optimize use, and allow for personalization of treatment.

Development of a digital platform to improve community response to overdose and prevention among harm reduction organizations.

The overdose crisis in the USA remains a growing and urgent public health concern. Over 108,000 people died due to overdose during 2021. Fatal and non-fatal overdoses are under-reported in the USA due to current surveillance methods. Systemic gaps in overdose data limit the opportunity for data-driven prevention efforts and resource allocation. This study aims to improve overdose surveillance and community response through developing a digital platform for overdose reporting and response among harm reduction organizations. We used a community-engaged, user-center design research approach. We conducted qualitative interviews with N = 44 overdose stakeholders including people who use drugs and harm reductionists. Results highlighted the need for a unified, multilingual reporting system uniquely tailored for harm reduction organizations. Anonymity, data transparency, protection from legal repercussions, data accuracy, and community-branded marketing emerged as key themes for the overdose platform. Emergent themes included the need for real-time data in a dashboard designed for community response and tailored to first responders and harm reduction organizations. This formative study provides the groundwork for improving overdose surveillance and data-driven response through the development of an innovative overdose digital platform.

Intimate Partner Violence Among Pregnant Veterans: Prevalence, Associated Mental Health Conditions, and Health Care Utilization.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent and serious health concern for women veterans, associated with mental and physical health symptoms. The adverse impacts of IPV are exacerbated during pregnancy, with added risks for pregnancy and postpartum outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Identify the scope of IPV among pregnant veterans and associations with health outcomes. DESIGN: Data were obtained from a national retrospective cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were 442 pregnant veterans using VHA maternity care benefits. MAIN MEASURES: Mental health history was assessed via self-report measure and chart review; history of IPV and perinatal depression were assessed via brief validated self-report measures. KEY RESULTS: Fourteen percent of the sample reported past-year IPV. Report of past-year IPV was associated with higher self-reported rates of lifetime mental health disorders including depression (p = 0.01), posttraumatic stress disorder (p = 0.02), anxiety disorders (p = 0.05), mood disorders (p = 0.01), bipolar disorder (p = 0.001), and eating disorders (p = 0.003); past-year IPV was also associated with the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder during pregnancy (p = 0.002). Additionally, past-year IPV was associated with higher rates of military sexual trauma (MST; p = 0.03), pregnancy health risk behaviors (i.e., smoking, alcohol, and drug use; p = 0.004), greater number of VHA mental health visits during pregnancy (p = 0.04), and a lower likelihood of seeking social support from a spouse or partner (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate substantial rates of IPV among pregnant veterans, and high rates of mental health conditions which may be exacerbated by MST experience and lower likelihood of seeking social support. Clinicians treating pregnant veterans should screen for and address IPV and mental health treatment needs, and risks should be assessed among pregnant veterans experiencing IPV.

Clinical Complexity in Women Veterans: A Systematic Review of the Recent Evidence on Mental Health and Physical Health Comorbidities.

A recent evidence map focused on women veterans underscored the limited number of articles published on mental health comorbid with physical health conditions in this population. The quality of this small body of research has yet to be evaluated. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate and synthesize research published between 2008 and 2015 and identified in the Women Veterans' Health Research Evidence Map as related to mental and physical health comorbidities among women veterans. Following PRISMA guidelines, 23 published studies were identified and 21 were included in the review. In general, significant associations between several mental health conditions (e.g., depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders) and physical health disorders (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, obesity, pain, and urinary symptoms) and health behaviors (e.g., preventative care and treatment adherence) were noted. The majority of studies were rated as low risk of bias, with selection and detection bias most frequently observed across studies. Additionally, gaps in the recent literature were observed, including the need for further investigation of the role of medical conditions in complicating mental health symptoms and care provision. Results underscore the importance of healthcare providers attending to women veterans' mental and physical health simultaneously and irrespective of setting. Further, while the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to make sizable gains in its focus on women veterans' health, continued research on several health domains is needed to ensure adequate understanding of the health needs of women veterans.

"A Woman in A Man's World": A Pilot Qualitative Study of Challenges Faced by Women Veterans During and After Deployment.

Women Veterans face gender-specific challenges to military life and post-deployment readjustment, including gender-based discrimination and military sexual trauma. Despite recent military initiatives to address these issues, women still experience unique challenges during military service. This study examines spontaneous comments about gender-specific challenges to military life that were made by participants in a qualitative study of women's transitions to civilian life after deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. METHODS: Women Veterans who were enrolled at a New England VA hospital and who had deployed to the U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan participated in this qualitative study (N = 22). Interview queries and initial coding structure were developed through an extensive literature review. An iterative coding process generated additional themes identified in the data. For this project, codes regarding self-initiated reports of gender-specific challenges that fell outside the scope of the study's initial interview agenda were reviewed for thematic analysis. RESULTS: The following three self-initiated themes emerged among 12 respondents: 1) gender-based scrutiny and discrimination; 2) the military's inadequate position and response to military sexual trauma; and 3) disadvantages to women service members living in a male-dominated environment. Across all three themes emerged a sub-theme in which women perceived their unique needs to be inconvenient and/or disregarded. Respondents described how these challenges disrupted their lives during and after military service. CONCLUSION: Results imply gender-specific challenges and military sexual trauma remain critical concerns for women Veterans well after deployment had ended, and that improved policy may have long-term health implications.

National implementation of a trauma-informed intervention for intimate partner violence in the Department of Veterans Affairs: first year outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently implemented a comprehensive national program to help veterans who use or experience intimate partner violence (IPV). One important component of this plan is to implement Strength at Home (SAH), a 12-week cognitive-behavioral and trauma-informed group treatment designed to reduce and end IPV use among military and veteran populations. METHOD: The present study describes initial patient and clinician findings from the first year of a training program tasked with implementing SAH at 10 VA medical centers. RESULTS: Results from 51 veterans who completed both pre- and post-treatment assessments indicate SAH was associated with significant pre- to post-treatment reductions in the proportion of veterans who reported using physical and psychological IPV toward a partner, the types of IPV used, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Overall, veterans reported high satisfaction with the quality and nature of services received, and with the program materials. In addition, 70% of sites and 34% of the 79 clinicians trained were successful in launching the program in the first year. The mean number of days between site training and initiation of the first group session was 135.86 (SD = 63.16, range 72-252). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the training and implementation program was successful overall. However, average length of time between in-person training and initiation of group services was longer than desired and there were three sites that did not successfully implement the program within the first year, suggesting a need to reduce implementation barriers and enhance institutional support.

Enhanced Area of Secondary Hyperalgesia in Women with Multiple Stressful Life Events: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: Stressful life events are associated with increased pain severity and chronicity. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains disputed. Recent animal studies suggest that chronic stress increases pain sensitivity and persistence by enhancing peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms. To test this hypothesis in humans, the authors examined whether sensitization is enhanced in healthy women reporting more stressful life events using the topical capsaicin test. METHODS: Thirty-two healthy young women reporting varying levels of stressful life events were invited for laboratory pain testing. Capsaicin was applied topically to the volar forearm. Measurements included capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain and area of secondary hyperalgesia in the region surrounding capsaicin application. Physiological (heart rate and skin conductance) and self-reported affective (emotional valence and arousal) states were also measured. RESULTS: The results indicate that more stressful life events predicted a linear increase in the area of secondary hyperalgesia (ß = 0.40, p = 0.023, R2 = 0.16), but not the intensity of secondary hyperalgesia nor capsaicin-induced spontaneous pain. These findings suggest that life stressors may be associated with heightened central sensitization manifested by an increased area of secondary hyperalgesia. Additionally, life stressors were related to greater sympathetic cardiac, but not to affective responses to capsaicin-induced pain. CONCLUSION: This study shows that women reporting more stressful life events show a larger area of secondary mechanical hyperalgesia. These preliminary findings suggest that life stressors may facilitate pain processing by enhancing central sensitization.

Effect of written emotional disclosure on secondary hyperalgesia in women with trauma history.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of written emotional disclosure on a model of chronic pain in healthy women with and without trauma history. METHOD: Participants were prescreened for their trauma history (N = 78) and randomized to a disclosure or a control writing condition. Pain testing occurred either 1 day or 1 month after disclosure. Capsaicin was applied to the forearm to evoke spontaneous burning pain at the application site and mechanical secondary hyperalgesia in the surrounding untreated skin. RESULTS: As hypothesized, the effect of disclosure on the area and intensity of secondary hyperalgesia depended on trauma history and time of testing (F(1,69) ≥ 7.37, p = .008). Disclosure increased secondary hyperalgesia in participants with trauma history compared with those without trauma when testing occurred 1 day after writing (F(1,69) ≥ 5.27, p ≤ .025), whereas the opposite pattern was observed 1 month later (F(1,69) ≥ 4.88, p ≤ .031). Of the participants with trauma history in the disclosure condition, secondary hyperalgesia was reduced at 1 month compared with 1 day after writing (p = .001). Moreover, greater use of positive emotional words predicted reduced secondary hyperalgesia at 1 month (ß = -0.71, p = .022). In contrast, disclosure had no effect on spontaneous pain. CONCLUSIONS: Disclosure modulates secondary hyperalgesia observed in women with trauma history, producing a short-term enhancement and a long-term reduction. This suggests that disclosure has a long-term protective effect that reduces sensitization of pain, which may explain the therapeutic effects of disclosure in patients with chronic pain.

The Impact of Military Deployment and Reintegration on Children and Parenting: A Systematic Review.

Hundreds of thousands of children have had at least 1 parent deploy as part of military operations in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom; OIF; Operation New Dawn; OND) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom; OEF). However, there is little knowledge of the impact of deployment on the relationship of parents and their children. This systematic review examines findings from 3 areas of relevant research: the impact of deployment separation on parenting, and children's emotional, behavioral, and health outcomes; the impact of parental mental health symptoms during and after reintegration; and current treatment approaches in veteran and military families. Several trends emerged. First, across all age groups, deployment of a parent may be related to increased emotional and behavioral difficulties for children, including higher rates of health-care visits for psychological problems during deployment. Second, symptoms of PTSD and depression may be related to increased symptomatology in children and problems with parenting during and well after reintegration. Third, although several treatments have been developed to address the needs of military families, most are untested or in the early stages of implementation and evaluation. This body of research suggests several promising avenues for future research.

Predictors of veteran attendance in an intimate partner violence intervention.

This study examined session attendance data from 2,754 veterans who participated in a national implementation of a trauma-informed intimate partner violence intervention, Strength at Home, across the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. Potential correlates of attendance were demographic characteristics, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, alcohol use, court involvement, current military involvement, and intervention modality (in-person vs. virtual). Given the trauma-informed nature of the intervention, it was expected that trauma-relevant risk factors, specifically PTSD symptom severity and racial minority status, would be less strongly associated with attendance than barriers related to other demographic variables and higher alcohol use, intervention modality, and court involvement. Results indicated that age, education level, employment status, retirement status, PTSD symptom severity, alcohol use, and court involvement were associated with session attendance in the expected direction at the bivariate level. Only education level, employment status, retirement status, alcohol use, and court involvement emerged as unique predictors of attendance such that more educated, employed, retired, and court-mandated veterans with less alcohol use attended more sessions. These findings suggest the importance of a trauma-informed, coordinated community response to intimate partner violence intervention and integration of motivational components surrounding problematic alcohol use to enhance compliance and mitigate barriers to attendance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining strength at home couples to prevent intimate partner violence on a military installation: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, the effectiveness of a couples-based group intervention to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV), Strength at Home Couples (SAH-C), was examined on a military installation relative to a comparison intervention, Supportive Prevention (SP). It was expected that greater reductions in use of physical, psychological, and sexual IPV behaviors, as well as reduced suicidality, would be found among service members and their partners in SAH-C relative to SP. METHOD: Participants included 138 couples randomized to SAH-C and SP through a clinical controlled trial embedded in a hybrid effectiveness implementation study which took place on a military installation. The Revised Conflict Tactics Scales and Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse were used to measure IPV, and 13 Military Suicide Research Consortium common data elements were used to assess suicidality. RESULTS: Service members randomized to SAH-C evidenced greater reductions based on effect sizes across the assessment time points for all IPV variables, including use of overall physical IPV, severe physical IPV, sexual IPV, psychological IPV, and coercive control IPV relative to those randomized to SP. Partners of service members demonstrated a similar general pattern for reductions in use of IPV, but findings were not as robust as for service members. Both service members and partners demonstrated greater reductions in suicidality based on effect sizes when randomized to SAH-C relative to SP. CONCLUSIONS: Findings extend prior work demonstrating the promising effects of SAH-C delivered in the military context and highlight the possible benefits of SAH-C in preventing self-harm thoughts and behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Organizational Capacity for Sexual Assault Prevention Within a U.S. Army Installation.

INTRODUCTION: Preventing military sexual assault (SA) is a DoD priority. Building prevention capacity could strengthen the impact of prevention programs and improve outcomes. Capacity was conceptualized as implementation knowledge and skills using the Getting To Outcomes (GTO) process and organizational-level capacities using the Prevention Evaluation Framework, a framework that applies best practices in prevention and implementation science to prevention at the program and organizational level. The present study assesses implementation knowledge and skills currently possessed by SA prevention personnel in one U.S. Army installation with the goal of identifying preexisting proficiencies and potential gaps. The study uses the Prevention Evaluation Framework organizational-level domains to identify organizational capacities that could be improved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen SA prevention program personnel were recruited for individual 1-hour interviews from one U.S. Army installation. A semi-structured interview guide was developed by the study team to assess knowledge and skills within the GTO framework. Applied thematic analysis guided data coding and analysis. RESULTS: Participants reported a range of proficiencies and gaps in capacity for SA prevention. Within the prevention workforce capacity, proficiencies were skill in tailoring training, and an existing train-the-trainer model. Gaps were training to facilitate difficult conversations, and an inability to tailor trainings to audience needs. Two proficiencies related to the comprehensive approach were having a victim advocate present during trainings, and providing training across leadership levels. The final proficiency involved data. Existing data sources were viewed as useful for identifying the nature and extent of local problems. However, participants reported a lack of confidence and skill in selecting appropriate outcome measures and collecting and using primary data. Gaps in leadership capacity were cultural norms, lack of trust, leader investment, logistical difficulty working with leaders, and comfort engaging with leaders. Gaps in collaborative relationships were the lack of informal networking within the SA prevention area to include civilians. CONCLUSIONS: The GTO-specific knowledge and skills of SA prevention personnel at one U.S. Army installation revealed proficiencies and gaps in organizational capacities influencing the prevention mission. Findings indicate that GTO support could be useful for improving the quality of program activities. However, results also indicate that GTO support would be more effective if they were paired with sufficient prevention infrastructure at the organizational level.

Impact of coping style and PTSD on family functioning after deployment in Operation Desert Shield/Storm returnees.

The relationship between military combat and postdeployment family functioning difficulties has been frequently investigated in the literature, as has the relationship between types of coping and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Few studies, however, have examined these variables together, and no studies of which we are aware have examined the effect of coping on family functioning after combat exposure. This study examined coping style measured immediately after return from deployment, and PTSD symptoms and family functioning 18-24 months after return from deployment in a sample of Operation Desert Shield/Storm veterans (N = 2,949). Structural equation models suggested that the relationships between distinct coping styles on family functioning were differentially mediated by postdeployment PTSD symptoms. Results are consistent with full mediation for avoidant coping (ßdirect = -.09, p = .07; ßindirect = -.17, p < .001) and partial mediation for approach coping (ßdirect = .16, p < .001; ßindirect = .09, p < .001). Results suggest that the strategies used to cope with a combat stress event may impact both PTSD and family functioning outcomes, and highlight the potential utility of pre- and postdeployment coping skills training.

Evaluation of the Strength at Home Group Intervention for Intimate Partner Violence in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

Importance: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and prevalent public health issue that is interconnected with experiences of trauma, mental and physical health difficulties, and health disparities. Strength at Home (SAH) is a group intervention for persons using IPV in their relationships. Although previous studies have provided evidence of SAH's effectiveness in reducing IPV, its patient outcomes as implemented within organized health care have not been examined. Objective: To evaluate patient outcomes from implementation of SAH in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system. Design, Setting, and Participants: This quality improvement study evaluated patient outcomes from a national implementation and training program conducted between December 11, 2015, and September 24, 2021. Data were collected as part of treatment and submitted by clinicians at 73 VA health care facilities. Patients were 1754 veterans seeking care aimed at addressing and/or preventing their use of aggression in intimate relationships. They completed 1 pretreatment assessment and 1 follow-up assessment in the immediate weeks after group completion. Intervention: Strength at Home is a 12-week trauma-informed and cognitive behavioral group intervention to address and prevent the use of IPV in relationships. Main Outcomes and Measures: Changes in IPV were measured with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey. Changes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were measured with the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, and alcohol misuse was measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Results: The study included 1754 participants (mean [SD] age, 44.3 [13.0] years; 1421 men [81%]), of whom 1088 (62%) were involved with the criminal legal system for IPV charges. Analyses indicate that SAH was associated with reductions in use of physical IPV (odds ratio, 3.28; percentage difference from before to after treatment, -0.17 [95% CI, -0.21 to -0.13]) and psychological IPV (odds ratio, 2.73; percentage difference from before to after treatment, -0.23 [95% CI, -0.27 to -0.19]), coercive control behaviors (odds ratio, 3.19; percentage difference from before to after treatment, -0.18 [95% CI, -0.22 to -0.14), PTSD symptoms (mean change, -4.00; 95% CI, 0.90-7.09; Hedges g = 0.10), and alcohol misuse (mean change, 2.70; 95% CI, 1.54-3.86; Hedges g = 0.24). Conclusions and Relevance: In this quality improvement study of the patient outcomes after implementation of SAH, results suggested that the program was associated with reductions in IPV behaviors, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol misuse. Results also suggest that IPV intervention in routine health care at VA health care facilities was successful; extension to other organized health care systems could be warranted.

Moral Elevation Online Intervention for Veterans Experiencing Distress Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Moral Injury (MOVED): Pilot Trial of a 4-Week Positive Psychology Web-Based Intervention.

BACKGROUND: Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury can encounter several barriers to treatment, including limited access to care and low engagement with therapy. Furthermore, most treatment approaches focus on alleviating distress rather than cultivating positive experiences that could facilitate trauma recovery. A potential way to address these issues is through moral elevation: feeling uplifted and inspired by others' virtuous actions. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, web-based moral elevation intervention for veterans with PTSD symptoms and moral injury distress (Moral Elevation Online Intervention for Veterans Experiencing Distress Related to PTSD and Moral Injury [MOVED]). This mixed methods study also examined potential changes in PTSD symptoms, moral injury distress, quality of life, and prosocial behavior. METHODS: In this pilot trial, 48 participants were randomized to a MOVED or control condition (24 participants per condition). Both conditions included 8 sessions and lasted 1 month. The MOVED intervention and all survey components across both conditions were administered online. Participants completed self-report measures that assessed PTSD symptoms, moral injury distress, quality of life, and prosocial behavior at baseline and follow-up. Veterans in the MOVED condition also completed individual qualitative interviews at follow-up. We coded qualitative responses to interviews and identified emergent themes. RESULTS: Findings suggest the MOVED intervention was largely feasible, with evidence for moderate-to-high levels of participation, engagement, and retention in MOVED sessions. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggest veterans found MOVED to be acceptable and satisfactory at the overall treatment level. Furthermore, participants reported high scores for helpfulness and engagement at the session level. Veterans who completed MOVED reported large within-person decreases in PTSD symptoms (Cohen d=1.44), approximately twice that of veterans in the control condition (Cohen d=0.78). Those in MOVED also reported medium-sized increases in physical (Cohen d=0.71) and psychological domains of quality of life (Cohen d=0.74), compared with no meaningful changes in the control condition. Unexpectedly, MOVED veterans reported no decrease in moral injury distress, whereas veterans in the control condition endorsed a medium-sized decrease in the total score. There were no changes in prosociality for either condition. Qualitative feedback further supported high levels of perceived acceptability and satisfaction and positive treatment outcomes across a range of domains, including behaviors, cognitions, emotions, and social functioning. Veterans also recommended adaptations to enhance engagement and maximize the impact of intervention content. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, findings indicate that veterans with PTSD and moral injury distress were interested in an intervention based on exposure to and engagement with experiences of moral elevation. After further research and refinement guided by future trials, veterans may benefit from this novel approach, which may enhance treatment outcomes and increase treatment accessibility for those in need of additional trauma-focused care.

Exploring the trajectory and correlates of social isolation for veterans across a 6-month period during COVID-19.

Social isolation is a relevant problem for veterans who are at risk for disengaging from others as a function of transition stress from military life to civilian life, and given high rates of exposure to trauma and psychological distress. Few researchers have examined social isolation in veterans over time, particularly during COVID-19 that led to significant barriers and restrictions on social interactions. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to assess veterans' experience of social isolation and its mental health and social functioning correlates during a 6-month period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 188 United States veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A total of four assessments were administered: one every two months for a total duration of six months. The average number of completed assessments across all participants was 3.70 (SD = 0.75) with 159 participants (84.13%) completing all four timepoints. Surveys included measures of global mental health and social functioning as indicated by perceived emotional support, quality of marriage, and couple satisfaction. Multilevel modeling was used to assess 1) growth models to determine whether social isolation changed over time and the trajectory of that change (i.e., linear or quadratic); and 2) whether social isolation was related to both concurrent and prospective indicators of mental health and social functioning. All analyses included person mean centered and grand mean centered isolation to assess for within-and between-person effects. Veterans reported a quadratic trajectory in social isolation that decreased slightly and stabilized over time. Findings indicate that higher social isolation, at both the within- and between-person level, was negatively associated with concurrent emotional support, mental health, quality of marriage, and couple satisfaction. However, all prospective effects were nonsignificant at the within-person level. Results suggest although isolation may decrease over time, veterans report worse mental health and social functioning during times when they report higher levels of social isolation compared to themselves and others. Future work is needed to determine if interventions can be applied during those times to prevent or target those negative associations.

Trauma-informed parenting intervention for veterans: A preliminary uncontrolled trial of Strength at Home-Parents.

Trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are highly prevalent in military and veteran populations and are associated with parenting difficulties. Unfortunately, there is a lack of accessible, trauma-informed, and evidence-based parenting support interventions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Strength at Home-Parents (SAHP) is a trauma-informed psychotherapy group that aims to improve parenting behaviors and overall parent-child and family functioning among U.S. military veterans with PTSD symptoms. SAHP was developed to maximize ease of use by VA providers and accessibility for parents. Here we report data from an uncontrolled trial of SAHP delivered using synchronous video technology in a sample of veterans using VA care (N = 53) who met the criteria for PTSD and parent-child functioning difficulties. Enrollment and retention rates met study goals and suggest feasibility and acceptability of study methods. Significant pre- to postintervention improvements were observed in measures of dysfunctional discipline, parenting stress, general family functioning, child psychosocial functioning, and parental PTSD and depression symptoms. Coupled with high satisfaction ratings, findings support further study of the intervention, including in an efficacy trial. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).