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Changes in psychiatric status and service use associated with continued compensation seeking after claim determinations for posttraumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Sayer Nina A.,
Spoont Michele,
Nelson David B.,
Clothier Barb,
Murdoch Maureen
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.20309
Subject(s) - compensation (psychology) , psychiatry , psychology , posttraumatic stress , adjudication , veterans affairs , mental health , incentive , clinical psychology , sample (material) , medicine , social psychology , political science , law , economics , microeconomics , chemistry , chromatography
This study examined changes in psychiatric status and use of VA mental health services after the adjudication of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability claims for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of 101 veteran claimants. Hypotheses were based on the premise that the claims process may create incentives for veterans to demonstrate illness. After the PTSD claim determination, half the sample had filed or planned to file a claim for a rating increase or an appeal and thus remained compensation seeking. Contradicting the authors' hypotheses, psychiatric status did not improve and treatment drop‐out rates did not increase among veterans who were no longer compensation seeking after the claim determination. Results have implications for the design and direction of future research.