The Veterans Health Administration and Military Sexual Trauma

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2007 Nov 1

PMID 17971558

Citations 138

Authors

Rachel Kimerling

Kristian Gima

Mark W Smith

Amy Street

Susan Frayne

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the utility of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) universal screening program for military sexual violence.

Methods: We analyzed VHA administrative data for 185,880 women and 4139888 men who were veteran outpatients and were treated in VHA health care settings nationwide during 2003.

Results: Screening was completed for 70% of patients. Positive screens were associated with greater odds of virtually all categories of mental health comorbidities, including posttraumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=8.83; 99% confidence interval [CI] = 8.34, 9.35 for women; AOR = 3.00; 99% CI = 2.89, 3.12 for men). Associations with medical comorbidities (e.g., chronic pulmonary disease, liver disease, and for women, weight conditions) were also observed. Significant gender differences emerged.

Conclusions: The VHA policies regarding military sexual trauma represent a uniquely comprehensive health care response to sexual trauma. Results attest to the feasibility of universal screening, which yields clinically significant information with particular relevance to mental health and behavioral health treatment. Women's health literature regarding sexual trauma will be particularly important to inform health care services for both male and female veterans.

Citing Articles

Optimizing Allocation to Telehealth and In-Person Prolonged Exposure for Women Veterans with Military Sexual Trauma: A Precision Medicine Approach.

Argyriou E, Gros D, Hernandez Tejada M, Muzzy W, Acierno R Behav Sci (Basel). 2024; 14(11).

PMID: 39594293 PMC: 11591394. DOI: 10.3390/bs14110993.

Xu B, Blais R, Cruz R, Tannahill H Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1452417.

PMID: 39575333 PMC: 11580701. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1452417.

Sexual Violence and Hazardous Drinking: Exploring Associations With PTSD Symptoms and Gender Among Adults With Probable PTSD and Hazardous Drinking.

Short N, Shapiro M, Smit T, McGrew S, Zvolensky M, Vujanovic A J Nerv Ment Dis. 2024; 212(12):581-586.

PMID: 39514848 PMC: 11732726. DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001811.

Short-Term Outcomes of a Healthy Relationship Intervention for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the US Military: Pilot Pretest-Postest Study.

Hernandez B, Shegog R, Markham C, Emery S, Baumler E, Thormaehlen L JMIR Form Res. 2024; 8:e64412.

PMID: 39471370 PMC: 11558222. DOI: 10.2196/64412.

Pregnancy Outcomes of Women Veterans with Autoimmune Disease.

Sims C, Cintron D, Wallace K, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Shah A, Gierisch J Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle). 2024; 5(1):650-657.

PMID: 39391789 PMC: 11462423. DOI: 10.1089/whr.2024.0078.

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