1. The mental health impact of COVID-19-related stressors among treatment-seeking trauma-exposed veterans
- Author
-
McLean, Carmen P, Wachsman, Tamara, Morland, Leslie, Norman, Sonya B, Hooper, Vaughan, and Cloitre, Marylene
- Subjects
Male ,Psychiatry ,Depression ,Social Support ,COVID-19 ,Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ,Anxiety Disorders ,Mental Health ,Good Health and Well Being ,Clinical Research ,Behavioral and Social Science ,Post-Traumatic ,Humans ,Psychology ,Female ,Mind and Body ,Stress Disorders ,Veterans - Abstract
Trauma-exposed veterans receiving mental health care may have an elevated risk of experiencing COVID-19-related difficulties. Using data from several ongoing clinical trials (N = 458), this study examined exposure to COVID-19-related stressors and their associations with key sociodemographic factors and mental health outcomes. The results showed that exposure to COVID-19-related stressors was common, higher among veterans who were racial/ethnic minorities d = 0.32, and associated with elevated posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), r = .288, and depressive symptom severity, r = .246. Women veterans experienced more difficulty accessing social support, d = 0.31, and higher levels of COVID-19-related distress, d = 0.31, than men. Qualitative data were consistent with survey findings and highlighted the broader societal context in veterans' experience of COVID-19-related distress. These findings may inform future research on the impact of the pandemic on veterans, particularly those who are women and members of minoritized racial/ethnic groups, as well as mental health treatment planning for this population.
- Published
- 2022