Determining Mental Health Condition Patterns in Veterans with a Lifetime PTSD Diagnosis

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder with symptoms that affect social and work situations, employment, and income. A randomized, controlled, multisite clinical trial was carried out by the VA Cooperative Study Program to compare two different interventions aimed at helping Veterans obtain and maintain competitive employment: the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) intervention, and the Transitional Work (TW) program. The IPS intervention included individual job counseling while the TW program provided temporary employment within VA facilities. We performed a latent profile analysis, searching for classes of patients with distinct mental health condition patterns. Classes were determined by 4 scores derived from Veterans’ baseline assessments which measured: severity of PTSD Symptoms, quality of life, level of disability, and selfesteem. We studied the relationships between the classes and the probability of achieving permanent employment. We also compared the cumulative earnings of Veterans across classes. The identification of aspects that increase the chances of gaining a permanent job could guide more individualized interventions.