Table 1.
VA Users with New Episodes of PTSD Care from 2004–2013 by Anticonvulsant Use
| Group, % (n) | All Patients (731,520) |
Received AC 24.9 (182,077) |
No AC 75.1 (549,443) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Indications for Anticonvulsants | |||
| Any Indication, % (n) | 84.2 (615,587) | 94.6 (172,385) | 80.7 (443,202) |
| Any Indication or Plurality from Neurology/Rehabilitation, % (n) | 84.2 (615,762) | 94.8 (172,560) | 80.7 (443,202) |
| Impulse Control Disorders, % (n) | 1.4 (10,516) | 2.7 (4,982) | 1.0 (5,534) |
| Alcohol Use Disorders, % (n) | 27.1(198,116) | 32.2 (58,586) | 25.4 (139,530) |
| Bipolar & Schizoaffective Disorders, % (n) | 8.0 (58,836) | 19.4 (35,233) | 4.3 (23,603) |
| Restless Legs Syndrome, % (n) | 1.1 (8,284) | 2.0 (3,708) | 0.8 (4,576) |
| Headache Disorders, % (n) | 29.4 (214,780) | 45.4 (82,661) | 24.1 (132,119) |
| Pain Disorders, % (n) | 73.3 (536,172) | 84.9 (154,491) | 69.5 (381,681) |
| Seizure Disorders, % (n) | 3.2 (23,014) | 7.7 (14,049) | 1.6 (8,965) |
| Plurality of AC Prescriptions from Neurology, % (n) | - | 4.0 (7,211) | - |
| Plurality of AC Prescriptions from Rehabilitation, % (n) | - | 1.7 (3,159) | - |
| Indication established before first AC Prescription, % (n) | - | 94.6 (171,872) | - |
| Indication established before Index PTSD Diagnosis, % (n) | 67.5 (493,889) | 79.5 (144,721) | 63.6 (349,168) |
| No non-PTSD Indication, % (n) | 15.8 (115,718) | 5.2 (9,517) | 19.3 (106,241) |
| Patient Characteristics | |||
| Age, M (SD) | 49.9 (15.4) | 49.3 (14.4) | 50.1 (15.7) |
| Men, % (n) | 91.5 (669,663) | 89.4 (162,757) | 92.3 (506,906) |
| Military Service-Connected Disability for PTSD, % (n) | 65.9 (482,048) | 60.7 (110,592) | 67.6 (371,456) |
| Psychotic Disorders (Non-Schizoaffective), % (n) | 4.0 (29,350) | 6.5 (11,792) | 3.2 (17,558) |
| Unipolar Depressive Disorders, % (n) | 58.9 (430,467) | 66.4 (120,843) | 56.4 (309,624) |
| Anxiety Disorders (Non-PTSD), % (n) | 26.1 (191,098) | 31.4 (57,202) | 24.4 (133,896) |
| Personality Disorders, % (n) | 4.0 (29,272) | 7.7 (14,060) | 2.8 (15,212) |
| Substance Use Disorders (Non-Alcohol), % (n) | 33.7 (246,180) | 42.7 (77,710) | 30.7 (168,470) |
| History of Traumatic Brain Injury, % (n) | 9.3 (67,756) | 14.0 (25,554) | 7.7 (42,202) |
| Service Use Characteristics | |||
| Mental Health Visits, M (SD) | 17.6 (22.4) | 24.1 (27.7) | 15.4 (19.8) |
| Inpatient Mental Health Admissions, % (n) | 8.9 (65,040) | 17.0 (31,024) | 6.2 (34,016) |
| Received Any Psychiatric Medication, % (n) | 90.5 (661,904) | 100 (182,077) | 87.3 (479,827) |
| Number of Psychotropic Medications, M (SD) | 3.9 (2.5) | 5.7 (2.9) | 3.2 (2.0) |
| Received AC before Index PTSD Diagnosis, % (n) | 16.9 (123,744) | 51.2 (93,291) | 5.5 (30,453) |
| Any Recommended Medication for PTSD, % (n) | 76.9 (562,773) | 85.2 (155,170) | 74.2 (407,603) |
| Plurality of AC Prescriptions from Mental Health, % (n) | - | 42.5 (77,441) | - |
| Plurality of AC Prescriptions from Primary Care, % (n) | - | 20.0 (36,471) | - |
Note. AC=Anticonvulsant, M=mean, SD=standard deviation; All differences significant at p<0.0001