Assessing and Treating PTSD in Veterans

Fulfills: CT requirements for veterans and family mental health issues

Assessing and treating PTSD in veterans provides distinct challenges for professionals. Multiple complexities need to be considered when conceptualizing and implementing treatment plans. Factors such as race, ethnicity, sex, personal history, and both military and family dynamics must be attended to.

This beginner/intermediate level course is designed to assist clinicians in understanding and addressing many of the nuances unique to the veteran population. All content is presented in both audio and text formats. The first section provides best practices as defined by the VA and Department of Defense guidelines. The second section contains a number of short articles articulating how PTSD impacts people of color, ethnic minorities, women, older adults, and families.

In the final section, Dr. Glenn Marks, a former military and VA psychologist, provides perspectives based on empirical data, anecdotal reports, and personal observations. He begins with a brief discussion of the military and VA systems, then segues into discussions of the various aspects of PTSD that should guide treatment decisions. He addresses factors such as moral injuries, hyperarousal, and comorbid conditions, and provides an introduction to non-traditional approaches to treatment that are gaining attention. He ends by mentioning topics seldomly discussed in either the literature or by patients that can help clinicians better understand some veteran’s experiences.