Timing of evidence-based psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder initiation among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans in the Veterans Health Administration.

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE) were widely disseminated to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). However, few Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF], Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF], Operation New Dawn [OND]) diagnosed with PTSD have received CPT/PE and many initiate CPT/PE after substantial delay. Veterans who do not initiate CPT/PE or initiate CPT/PE after delay may have poorer treatment outcomes. This study aimed to identify predictors of CPT/PE initiation and timing.