Table 2.
Sample characteristics overall and by degree of PTSD improvement^ for each analytic sample, veterans age 18–70 years with PTSD
| Hypertension sample (n=979) | Hyperlipidemia sample (n=1,139) | Weight loss sample (n=1,330) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Variable, n(%) or mean (±sd) | Worsening/no change (n=558) | Small PTSD improvement (n=203) | Large PTSD improvement (n=218) | Worsening/no change (n=688) | Small PTSD improvement (n=218) | Large PTSD improvement (n=233) | Worsening/no change (n=800) | Small PTSD improvement (n=252) | Large PTSD improvement (n=278) |
| Age (years), mean (±sd) | 37.5 (±11.3) | 37.6 (±12.0) | 40.1 (±12.8)* | 38.5 (±12.1) | 37.6 (±12.6) | 39.8 (±12.0) | 42.2 (±13.5) | 42.6 (±13.6) | 43.7 (±13.7) |
| Male gender, n(%) | 462 (82.8) | 166 (81.8) | 171 (78.4) | 571 (83.0) | 185 (84.9) | 176 (75.5)* | 680 (85.0) | 213 (84.5) | 222 (79.9) |
| Race, n(%) | |||||||||
| White | 373 (66.8) | 133 (65.5) | 160 (73.4) | 444 (64.5) | 146 (67.0) | 161 (69.1) | 520 (65.0) | 155 (61.5) | 195 (70.1) |
| Black | 109 (19.5) | 38 (18.7) | 39 (17.9) | 149 (21.7) | 44 (20.2) | 48 (20.6) | 186 (23.2) | 61 (24.2) | 60 (21.6) |
| Other | 47 (8.4) | 18 (8.9) | 11 (5.1) | 61 (8.9) | 14 (6.4) | 14 (6.0) | 59 (7.4) | 28 (11.1) | 16 (5.8) |
| Missing | 29 (5.2) | 14 (6.9) | 8 (3.7) | 34 (4.9) | 14 (6.4) | 10 (4.3) | 35 (4.4) | 8 (3.2) | 7 (2.5) |
| Married, n(%) | 226 (40.5) | 80 (39.4) | 90 (41.3) | 284 (41.3) | 84 (38.5) | 97 (41.6) | 359 (44.9) | 112 (44.4) | 128 (46.0) |
| VHA only insurance, n(%) | 388 (69.5) | 126 (62.1) | 159 (72.9)* | 484 (70.3) | 144 (66.1) | 172 (73.8) | 527 (65.9) | 150 (59.5) | 189 (68.0) |
| High primary HCU, n(%) | 147 (26.3) | 51 (25.1) | 47 (21.6) | 176 (25.6) | 56 (25.7) | 48 (20.6) | 204 (25.5) | 67 (26.6) | 63 (22.7) |
| First PCL severe (≥70), n(%) | 151 (27.1) | 65 (32.0) | 70 (32.1) | 205 (29.8) | 72 (33.0) | 78 (33.5) | 231 (28.9) | 86 (34.1) | 101 (36.3)* |
| Depression, n(%) | 406 (72.8) | 137 (67.5) | 148 (67.9) | 494 (71.8) | 146 (67.0) | 163 (70.0) | 604 (75.5) | 183 (72.6) | 202 (72.7) |
| Other anxiety, n(%)b | 155 (27.8) | 31 (15.3) | 48 (22.0)** | 198 (28.8) | 41 (18.8) | 56 (24.0)* | 244 (30.5) | 46 (18.3) | 73 (26.3)*** |
| Sleep disorder, n(%) | 229 (51.0) | 89 (43.8) | 83 (38.1) | 300 (43.6) | 91 (41.7) | 98 (42.1) | 383 (47.9) | 119 (47.2) | 132 (47.5) |
| Alcohol abuse/dependence, n(%) | 236 (42.3) | 62 (30.5) | 72 (33.0)** | 294 (42.7) | 79 (36.2) | 83 (35.6) | 334 (41.8) | 89 (35.3) | 108 (38.8) |
| Drug abuse/dependence, n(%) | 141 (25.3) | 34 (16.8) | 53 (24.3)* | 179 (26.0) | 44 (20.2) | 60 (25.8) | 206 (25.8) | 48 (19.1) | 83 (29.9)* |
| Smoking, n(%) c | 299 (53.6) | 101 (49.7) | 116 (53.2) | 367 (53.3) | 113 (51.8) | 122 (52.4) | 403 (50.4) | 134 (53.2) | 149 (53.6) |
| Adequate PTSD psychotherapy, n(%) d | 199 (35.7) | 89 (43.8) | 131 (60.1)*** | 253 (36.8) | 96 (44.0) | 130 (55.8)*** | 334 (41.8) | 129 (51.2) | 160 (57.6)*** |
| Adequate ADM treatment, n(%) e | 413 (74.0) | 141 (69.5) | 135 (61.9)** | 514 (74.7) | 151 (69.3) | 154 (66.1)* | 623 (77.9) | 193 (76.6) | 191 (68.7)** |
| Atypical antipsychotic, n(%)f | 132 (23.7) | 46 (22.7) | 34 (15.6)* | 166 (24.1) | 48 (22.0) | 39 (16.7) | 218 (27.2) | 56 (22.2) | 63 (22.7) |
| ADM – TCA, n(%) f | 60 (10.7) | 18 (8.9) | 19 (8.7) | 78 (11.3) | 19 (8.7) | 17 (7.3) | 100 (12.5) | 31 (12.3) | 28 (10.1) |
| ADM – SNRI, n(%) f | 61 (10.9) | 17 (8.4) | 15 (6.9) | 78 (11.3) | 18 (8.3) | 23 (9.9) | 98 (12.3) | 28 (11.1) | 30 (10.8) |
| ADM – Mirtazapine, n(%) f | 79 (14.2) | 21 (10.3) | 25 (11.5) | 105 (15.3) | 27 (12.4) | 36 (15.5) | 122 (15.3) | 34 (13.5) | 42 (15.1) |
| ADM - Bupropion, n(%) f | 122 (21.9) | 35 (17.2) | 42 (19.3) | 148 (21.5) | 41 (18.8) | 50 (21.5) | 171 (21.4) | 50 (19.8) | 68 (24.5) |
| Hypertension, n(%) | - | - | - | 189 (27.5) | 43 (19.7) | 51 (21.9)* | 306 (38.2) | 94 (37.3) | 96 (34.5) |
| Hyperlipidemia, n(%) | 127 (22.8) | 48 (23.6) | 49 (22.5) | - | - | - | 285 (35.6) | 104 (41.3) | 102 (36.7) |
| Obesity, n(%) g | 246 (44.1) | 91 (44.8) | 99 (45.4) | 319 (46.4) | 90 (41.3) | 108 (46.4) | - | - | - |
| Baseline BMI category, n(%) | - | - | - | - | - | - | |||
| Normal (< 25.0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 165 (20.6) | 48 (19.1) | 60 (21.6) |
| Overweight (25.0 – < 30.0) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 283 (35.4) | 98 (38.9) | 107 (38.5) |
| Obese (≥ 30) | - | - | - | - | - | - | 352 (44.0) | 106 (42.1) | 111 (39.9) |
PTSD=posttraumatic stress disorder; PCL=PTSD checklist (range: 17–85); HCU=healthcare utilization; ADM=antidepressant
p<0.001
p<0.01
p<0.05
PCL change: no/worsening is <10 point PCL decrease, small improvement is 10–19 point PCL decrease, large improvement is ≥20 point PCL decrease
Comorbidities occur from start of FY2008 to index date
Composite of panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety not otherwise specified
Current smoker in health factors or ICD-9-CM code
Measured from first PCL to index date (exposure year). Presence of at least 9 psychotherapy visits in any 15 week period
At least 12 weeks of continuous ADM fills prior to index date
Sustained use – at least 2 fills in any 6 month period prior to index
BMI≥30 or ICD-9-CM code