6 - (IOP 4) How Do Veterans Want to Get PTSD Care? A Survey of Preferences and Attitudes Across Intervention Modalities

Background: With the advent of digital interventions, veterans can receive PTSD care in a variety of ways including in-person therapy, telehealth, and computer- and app-based programs. Receiving one’s preferred treatment option is associated with improved treatment outcomes, yet little is known about veterans’ preferences for PTSD care. The present study aimed to describe veterans’ preferences for four modalities of PTSD care and identify factors associated with interest in and preference for digital modalities (i.e., computer- and app-based).

Methods: Veterans (N=615) diagnosed with PTSD through the VA who reported clinically significant symptoms of PTSD completed a survey assessing interest, preferences, and perceptions related to four PTSD care modalities: in-person, telehealth, computer-based, and app-based. Additional items and measures assessed factors that might influence preferences (e.g., psychosocial factors, prior use). Interest was measured via a check all that apply item wherein participants endorsed modalities they were interested in and an item wherein participants ranked modalities from most to least interested. Based on these items, veterans were classified into three groups—prefer digital interventions (20%), open to digital interventions (29%), and not interested in digital interventions (51%).

Results: Interest was highest for in-person PTSD care, followed by telehealth, computer-based, and app-based. Despite this, in-person care was rated as inconvenient relative to other modalities. A simultaneous multinomial logistic regression found a significant omnibus effect (χ2[78] = 308.36, p < .001) of sociodemographic, psychosocial, and personal predictors on likelihood of technology preference. Veterans with PTSD service connection, high self-stigma, and negative perceptions of in-person care were more likely to prefer digital modalities. Veterans who perceived telehealth as consistent with their beliefs about mental healthcare, saw computer-based care as fitting their needs, and viewed telehealth as not fitting their needs preferred or were open to digital modalities.

Conclusions: This is the first study to describe veterans’ interest in a wide variety of modalities for PTSD care and has implications for disseminating digital interventions. Digital interventions are popular, with 1 in 2 veterans who preferred or were open to tech-based care. Digital interventions should be marketed to veterans who are PTSD service-connected, high in self-stigma, find telehealth to be consistent with their beliefs, express that computer-based care fit their needs, or report in-person care does not fit their needs. Additionally, veterans who feel that telehealth is a poor fit for their needs are open to and should be offered tech-based interventions.