Teaching Loved Ones to Help Veterans Optimize Their PTSD Care and Healing

PTSD occurs in as many as 17% of US military Veterans and is associated with a host of negative, long-term consequences to the individual, their families, and society at large. EBPs, such as Prolonged Exposure, result in clinically significant symptom relief for many. Yet, these therapies have proven less effective for military personnel and Veterans and treatment dropout rates are high. The investigators' team surveyed Veterans initiating EBPs for PTSD and a family member across four VA medical centers (N = 598; Project HomeFront). The investigators found that Veterans were more than twice as likely to complete EBPs when loved ones encouraged them to confront distress and that Veterans experienced greater treatment gains when they shared more with their loved ones about their treatment. A couples-based, exposure therapy for PTSD that integrates intimate partners into every session of PE could provide the opportunity to mobilize the whole household in the service of EBP engagement, while extending the goals of therapy beyond symptom reduction to family functioning. The investigators anticipate this intervention will teach couples to embrace a lifestyle that supports confronting trauma-related distress, so the Veteran and his/her family can achieve optimal functional outcomes.