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- Title
Impediments to Mental Health Treatment as Predictors of Mental Health Symptoms Following Combat.
- Authors
Wright, Kathleen M.; Britt, Thomas W.; Moore, DeWayne
- Abstract
This longitudinal study examined whether impediments to mental health treatment would predict changes in mental health symptoms (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] and depression) in the months following soldiers returning from combat. Three-hundred ten combat veterans completed measures of impediments to treatment and measures of PTSD and depression symptoms at 2, 3, and 4 months following a 15-month combat deployment. Structural equation modeling revealed that greater impediments (a latent variable indexed by stigma, practical barriers, and negative treatment attitudes) at 2 months predicted increased PTSD and depression symptoms from 2-3 months (β = .14) and greater impediments at 3 months predicted increased symptoms from 3-4 months (β = .26). In contrast, evidence was not obtained for the opposite causal direction of symptoms predicting higher levels of impediments at the different periods. Possible mechanisms for the predictive effects of impediments are discussed.
- Subjects
TREATMENT of post-traumatic stress disorder; MENTAL health services; LONGITUDINAL method; MEDICAL care of veterans; MENTAL depression; STRUCTURAL equation modeling
- Publication
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2014, Vol 27, Issue 5, p535
- ISSN
0894-9867
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/jts.21946