Building a Family Systems Model to Promote Adherence to PTSD Treatment

摘要

Despite the success of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBTs) for PTSD, only half of patients recover, and 1 in 5 will drop out of treatment all together. One central and underutilized resource in keeping Veterans in treatment and helping them to gain the most from these treatments is Veterans families, yet evidence-based strategies for how to best utilize families in treatment have yet to be established. We will survey approximately 378 Veterans and 185 of their significant others before and after participation an EBT for PTSD across three VAs (Minneapolis, Palo Alto, and Phoenix). Data collection for these surveys is ongoing. We will then conduct in-depth interviews with Veterans who attended an EBT yet still suffer with PTSD, their significant others, and their providers, to identify how to help Veterans get the most out of treatment. Findings will provide the evidence-base for when, how, and why family involvement can improve adherence to EBTs for PTSD and treatment outcomes. By studying Veterans and their families as they participate in EBTs for PTSD, we will develop a comprehensive and family-focused understanding of why some service members do not finish treatment and why those who do sometimes fail to fully recover. From these findings, we will develop guidelines for providers, outlining how to involve the families in EBTs for PTSD, and an initial protocol for a family-centered intervention to improve adherence to EBTs for PTSD.