Post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom: Retrospective review of treatment received compared to evidence-based practice guidelines

Abstract

Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a syndrome that can emerge after exposure to a traumatic event. In the veteran population, the strongest predictor of developing PTSD is frequency and intensity of direct combat exposure. The 2010 Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense (DoD) guidelines for the treatment of PTSD published in 2010 recommend psychotherapy techniques and/or pharmacotherapy (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or venlafaxine) as initial management. Objective: This study aimed to determine whether Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans received treatment for PTSD in concordance with VA/DoD guidelines. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for 400 patients at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) with OEF/OIF service who had a PTSD-related encounter between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012. The primary outcome was the percentage of OEF/OIF veterans with PTSD who received treatment in concordance wit...