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Gianoli MO, Meisler AW, Gordon R. Examining bias in the award of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits for posttraumatic stress disorder in women veterans: Analysis of evaluation reports and VA decisions. J Trauma Stress 2024. [PMID: 38462544 DOI: 10.1002/jts.23034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Studies have raised concerns about possible inequities in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)'s awards of disability for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to women. However, the diagnoses and opinions made by disability examiners have not been studied. A sample of 270 initial PTSD examination reports and corresponding VA decisions were studied. Compared to men, women veterans were as likely to be diagnosed with a service-related mental disorder, χ2 (1, N = 270) = 2.31, p = .129, odds ratio (OR) = 1.79, 95% CI [0.84, 3.80], and be granted service-connection, χ2 (1, N = 270) = 0.49, p = .483, OR = 1.28, 95% CI [0.65, 2.51]. Women veterans were considered to have more psychiatric symptoms, Z = -2.05, p = .041, r = .16, and more psychiatric impairment, Z = -2.48, p = .013, r = .20, but the percentage of disability awarded by the VA did not differ, χ2 (1, N = 270) = 0.49, p = .483; OR = 1.28, 95% CI [0.65, 2.51]. Secondary analyses implicate the role of military sexual trauma and premilitary trauma in explaining sex differences in symptoms and impairment. The findings indicate that neither opinions by examiners nor corresponding decisions by the VA regarding service connection reflect a negative bias toward women veterans. Results indicate that unbiased examinations lead to equitable VA claims decisions for women veterans. Future studies of the VA PTSD disability program nationally, including examination procedures and VA policies and implementation, will promote equity for women veterans in the PTSD claims process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayumi O Gianoli
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Andrew W Meisler
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Rebecca Gordon
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA
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Webermann AR, Gianoli MO, Rosen MI, Portnoy GA, Runels T, Black AC. Military sexual trauma-related posttraumatic stress disorder service-connection: Characteristics of claimants and award denial across gender, race, and compared to combat trauma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0280708. [PMID: 38206995 PMCID: PMC10783784 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The current study characterizes a cohort of veteran claims filed with the Veterans Benefits Administration for posttraumatic stress disorder secondary to experiencing military sexual trauma, compares posttraumatic stress disorder service-connection award denial for military sexual trauma-related claims versus combat-related claims, and examines military sexual trauma -related award denial across gender and race. We conducted analyses on a retrospective national cohort of veteran claims submitted and rated between October 2017-May 2022, including 102,409 combat-related claims and 31,803 military sexual trauma-related claims. Descriptive statistics were calculated, logistic regressions assessed denial of service-connection across stressor type and demographics, and odds ratios were calculated as effect sizes. Military sexual trauma-related claims were submitted primarily by White women Army veterans, and had higher odds of being denied than combat claims (27.6% vs 18.2%). When controlling for age, race, and gender, men veterans had a 1.78 times higher odds of having military sexual trauma-related claims denied compared to women veterans (36.6% vs. 25.4%), and Black veterans had a 1.39 times higher odds of having military sexual trauma-related claims denied compared to White veterans (32.4% vs. 25.3%). Three-fourths of military sexual trauma-related claims were awarded in this cohort. However, there were disparities in awarding of claims for men and Black veterans, which suggest the possibility of systemic barriers for veterans from underserved backgrounds and/or veterans who may underreport military sexual trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliya R. Webermann
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Mayumi O. Gianoli
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States of America
| | - Marc I. Rosen
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Galina A. Portnoy
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Tessa Runels
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Anne C. Black
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States of America
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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Conard PL, Keller MJ, Armstrong ML. Military Veterans' End of Life: Supporting Them in Their Last Deployment. Home Healthc Now 2023; 41:28-35. [PMID: 36607207 DOI: 10.1097/nhh.0000000000001138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
More than 600,000 U.S. Veterans die from illness each year. Clinicians in civilian settings are increasingly providing care to Veterans at end of life. Veteran care should be distinctive and individualized to meet their unique needs. There is limited information to guide civilian clinicians in providing care to Veterans at end of life. This article provides bio-psycho-social information to holistically guide Veteran healthcare and assist them with solace, respect, and serenity at end of life. Various options for end-of-life care are discussed, as well as specific concerns of women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Veterans. Some end-of-life entitlements for all Veterans and sometimes their spouses/children are included.
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Taylor KA, Schwartz SW, Alman AC, Goode AP, Dagne GA, Sebastião YV, Foulis PR. Nightmare disorder and low back pain in veterans: cross-sectional association and effect over time. SLEEP ADVANCES : A JOURNAL OF THE SLEEP RESEARCH SOCIETY 2022; 3:zpac030. [PMID: 36387301 PMCID: PMC9648406 DOI: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpac030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) disproportionately impacts US military veterans compared with nonveterans. Although the effect of psychological conditions on LBP is regularly studied, there is little published to date investigating nightmare disorder (NMD) and LBP. The purpose of this study was to (1) investigate whether an association exists between NMD and LBP and (2) estimate the effect of NMD diagnosis on time to LBP. We used a retrospective cohort design with oversampling of those with NMD from the Veterans Health Administration (n = 15 983). We used logistic regression to assess for a cross-sectional association between NMD and LBP and survival analysis to estimate the effect of NMD on time to LBP, up to 60-month follow-up, conditioning on age, sex, race, index year, Charlson Comorbidity Index, depression, anxiety, insomnia, combat exposure, and prisoner of war history to address confounding. Odds ratios (with 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) indicated a cross-sectional association of 1.35 (1.13 to 1.60) and 1.21 (1.02 to 1.42) for NMD and LBP within 6 months and 12 months pre- or post-NMD diagnosis, respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) indicated the effect of NMD on time to LBP that was time-dependent-HR (with 95% CIs) 1.27 (1.02 to 1.59), 1.23 (1.03 to 1.48), 1.19 (1.01 to 1.40), and 1.10 (0.94 to 1.29) in the first 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-diagnosis, respectively-approximating the null (1.00) at >12 months. The estimated effect of NMD on LBP suggests that improved screening for NMD among veterans may help clinicians and researchers predict (or intervene to reduce) risk of future back pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth A Taylor
- Corresponding author. Kenneth A. Taylor, Duke Clinical Research Institute, 300 West Morgan Street, Ste 800, Durham, NC 27701, USA.
| | - Skai W Schwartz
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Amy C Alman
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Adam P Goode
- Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA,Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA,Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Getachew A Dagne
- College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Yuri V Sebastião
- Division of Global Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Philip R Foulis
- Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA,Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA
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Smith DT, Faber SC, Buchanan NT, Foster D, Green L. The Need for Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy in the Black Community and the Burdens of Its Provision. Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:774736. [PMID: 35126196 PMCID: PMC8811257 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.774736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychedelic medicine is an emerging field that examines entheogens, psychoactive substances that produce non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is currently in phase-3 FDA clinical trials in the United States (US) and Canada to treat the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MDMA is used in conjunction with manualized therapy, because of its effectiveness in reducing fear-driven stimuli that contribute to trauma and anxiety symptoms. In 2017, the FDA designated MDMA as a "breakthrough therapy," signaling that it has advantages in safety, efficacy, and compliance over available medication for the treatment of trauma-, stress-, and anxiety-related disorders such as PTSD. In the US and Canada, historical and contemporary racial mistreatment is frequently experienced by Black people via a variety of macro and micro insults. Such experiences trigger physiological responses of anxiety and fear, which are associated with chronically elevated stress hormone levels (e.g., cortisol and epinephrine), similar to levels documented among those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. This paper will explore the benefits of entheogens within psychedelic assisted-therapy and their potential benefits in addressing the sequelae of pervasive and frequent negative race-based experiences and promoting healing and thriving among Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC). The author(s) discuss the ethical responsibility for providing psychedelic-assisted therapy within a culturally competent provider framework and the importance of psychedelic researchers to recruit and retain BIPOC populations in research and clinical training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darron T. Smith
- Department of Sociology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
| | | | - NiCole T. Buchanan
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | | | - Lilith Green
- Department of Sociology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States
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