Table 1.
Sample characteristics overall and by PCL decrease for Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) PTSD cases, veterans age 30–70 years and free of CVD (n=1,079)
| Variable, n(%) or mean (±sd) | Overall (n=1,079) | PCL dec < 20 (n=832) | PCL dec ≥ 20 (n=247) | t or χ2 (df) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (±sd) | 48.9 (±10.9) | 48.6 (±11.0) | 49.8 (±10.8) | 1.5 (1077) | .13 |
| Male gender, n(%) | 899 (83.3) | 700 (84.1) | 199 (80.6) | 1.7 (1) | .19 |
| Race, n(%) | |||||
| White | 648 (60.1) | 492 (59.1) | 156 (63.2) | ||
| Black | 318 (29.5) | 248 (29.8) | 70 (28.3) | 1.9 (3) | .60 |
| Other | 79 (7.3) | 64 (7.7) | 15 (6.1) | ||
| Missing | 34 (3.2) | 28 (3.4) | 6 (2.4) | ||
| Married, n(%) | 539 (49.9) | 415 (49.9) | 124 (50.2) | 0.08 (1) | .93 |
| VHA only insurance, n(%) | 617 (57.2) | 462 (55.5) | 155 (62.8) | 4.1 (1) | .044 |
| High primary HCU, n(%) | 271 (25.1) | 215 (25.8) | 56 (22.7) | 1.0 (1) | .31 |
| First PCL severe (≥70), n(%) | 365 (33.8) | 273 (32.8) | 92 (37.3) | 1.7 (1) | .20 |
| First PCL, mean (±sd) | 65.1 (±9.0) | 64.8 (±9.2) | 66.4 (±8.5) | 2.5 (1077) | .013 |
| Last PCL, mean (±sd) | 56.1 (±16.0) | 62.2 (±11.9) | 35.7 (±9.9) | −31.9 (1077) | <.0001 |
| Psychiatric comorbidities and treatmentsa | |||||
| Depression, n(%) | 813 (75.3) | 628 (75.5) | 185 (74.9) | 0.03 (1) | .85 |
| Other anxietyb, n(%) | 289 (26.8) | 221 (26.6) | 68 (27.5) | 0.09 (1) | .76 |
| Sleep disorder, n(%) | 546 (50.6) | 420 (50.5) | 126 (51.0) | 0.02 (1) | .88 |
| Substance abuse/dependence, n(%) | 452 (41.9) | 343 (41.2) | 109 (44.1) | 0.7 (1) | .42 |
| Smokingc, n(%) | |||||
| Never | 448 (41.5) | 348 (41.8) | 100 (40.5) | ||
| Former | 135 (12.5) | 105 (12.6) | 30 (12.2) | 0.3 (1) | .88 |
| Current | 496 (46.0) | 379 (45.6) | 117 (47.4) | ||
| Adequate PTSD psychotherapy, n(%)d | 537 (49.8) | 388 (46.6) | 149 (60.3) | 14.3 (1) | .0002 |
| Adequate ADM treatment, n(%)e | 815 (75.5) | 640 (76.9) | 175 (70.8) | 3.8 (1) | .05 |
| Physical comorbiditiesa | |||||
| Type 2 diabetes, n(%) | 127 (11.8) | 94 (11.3) | 33 (13.4) | 0.8 (1) | .38 |
| Hypertension, n(%) | 507 (47.0) | 392 (47.1) | 115 (46.6) | 0.02 (1) | .88 |
| Hyperlipidemia, n(%) | 497 (46.1) | 385 (46.3) | 112 (45.3) | 0.07 (1) | .80 |
| Obesityf, n(%) | 616 (57.1) | 466 (56.0) | 150 (60.7) | 1.7 (1) | .19 |
PTSD=posttraumatic stress disorder; PCL=PTSD checklist (range: 17–85); FY=fiscal year; DEC=decrease; HCU=healthcare utilization; ADM=antidepressant
a
Comorbidities occur from start of FY2008 to index date
b
Composite of panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety not otherwise specified.
c
Health factors or ICD-9-CM code
d
Measured in exposure year. Presence of at least 9 psychotherapy visits in any 15 week period.
e
At least 12 weeks of continuous ADM fills prior to index date
f
BMI≥30 or ICD-9-CM code