Abstract
Objective: Despite recognition of its prevalence and impact, little is known about treatment for veteran men with a history of military sexual trauma (MST). While research suggests that such veterans may suffer from gender-based distress that poses unique treatment challenges, MST-focused treatment draws upon contemporary PTSD best practices that may overlook gender. The current initial pilot study evaluated a multimodal, time-limited men's MST group therapy that integrated exposure- and mindfulness-based, psychoeducational, and psychodynamic group interventions. Method: This study examined pre- and posttreatment data from patients who completed group treatment (n = 24). Three-fourths of patients were 60 years or older, over 80% Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Assessment data were collected using the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5), an adaptation of the Recovery Assessment Scale, and open-ended written responses. Paired-samples t tests and effect sizes (Hedge's g) were calculated. Indictive thematic analysis was used for qualitative analysis. Results: Qualitative and quantitative data showed improvements in shame, self-forgiveness, and belonginess. There were significant reductions from pre- to posttreatment in total PCL-5 score (g = −0.69) and all 4 symptom clusters (g = −0.51–−0.71), and significant improvements in 8 out of 10 recovery items (g = 0.44–2.46). Conclusions: More research is needed to assess whether veteran men with a history of MST benefit from treatment that provides multimodal, multitheoretical interventions that address gender-based symptoms in addition to PTSD. The results of this study support future research in a randomized controlled study.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2410-2426 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | Journal of Clinical Psychology |
Volume | 78 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2022 |
Keywords
- group therapy
- military sexual trauma
- psychodynamic
- shame
- veteran men
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Clinical Psychology