In This Issue

Director's Letter

Director's Letter
by Seth A. Eisen, M.D., M.Sc.

BIG³–Big Data, Big Ideas, Big Research...

Commentary

PTSD Treatment and Suicide Prevention: Clinical Practice Guidelines and Steps Toward Further Knowledge
by Antonette M. Zeiss, Ph.D. and Janet Kemp, R.N., Ph.D., Office of Mental Health Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Central Office, Washington, D.C.

VA has undertaken extensive efforts in the last five years to implement enhancements to mental health care, many focused on PTSD care and on suicide prevention...

Response to Commentary

PTSD Treatment and Suicide Prevention: VA Research Contributions and Priorities
by Marcia Valenstein, M.D., Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, Michigan

VA HSR&D researchers have conducted a synthesis of the evidence-based literature on suicide prevention, finding that although some approaches—such as multi-component intervention in military populations—are promising, the quality of evidence for this and most other suicide prevention strategies is low...

Research Highlights

Suicidal Behavior among Those with TBI and PTSD
by Lisa Brenner, Ph.D., ABPP, Director, VISN 19 MIRECC, Denver, Colorado

Recent research suggests that Veterans with TBI and/or PTSD may be at risk for self-directed violence (SDV) such as suicide attempts and death by suicide...

Gender and PTSD
by Rachel Kimerling, Ph.D. and Jessica A. Turchik, Ph.D., National Center for PTSD & Center for Health Care Evaluation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California

Reviews and meta-analyses of the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature consistently find that women experience PTSD at rates approximately twice that of men...

The Role of Primary Care in Addressing Suicide Risk
by Steven K. Dobscha M.D., Center for the Study of Chronic Comorbid Mental and Physical Disorders, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon

It has been estimated that up to 18 Veterans die each day by suicide. The subgroup of Veterans who receive care within the VA health care system are at greater risk for suicide compared to non-Veterans; the rate of suicide within this subgroup has decreased only slightly in recent years...

Compensation and Pension Examination for PTSD
by Ted Speroff, Ph.D., VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System GRECC and Health Services Research, Nashville, Tennessee and Patricia Sinnott PT Ph.D., M.P.H., Health Economics Resource Center, Palo Alto, California

The findings of our study indicate that evidence-based, standardized disability assessment for PTSD would enhance the clinician’s determination of a PTSD diagnosis and functional impairment...

2012 USH Award

Yano Receives 2012 Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research