An Education Intervention to Improve Knowledge of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Treatments Among U.S. Women Service Members and Veterans

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction Due to decades of prolonged combat operations, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is widely discussed and generally well conceptualized. The objective of this study was to determine if an educational program on the signs and symptoms of PTSD and an explanation of the current treatments utilized by the Veterans Administration is effective in increasing the knowledge levels of women service members and veterans, leading to seeking treatment. Materials and Methods The design of this study was a quantitative pretest/posttest interventional study. The educational program was conducted at a Senior Citizen Center. The population was a purposive sample of 44 women service members and veterans from a military base in New Jersey. A 25-item PTSD Knowledge Questionnaire developed for the earlier Web-Based Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Education for Military Family Members (2012) study was used as the pretest and posttest. Results The knowledge level of PTSD among women service members and veterans who participated in this study was significantly higher after completing the educational program with 43% indicating that they would seek mental health care. Conclusions Women service members and veterans were ill-informed on the signs, symptoms, and treatment options of PTSD. If the results of this survey are an indicator of the knowledge level of women service members in broader populations, there is a need to restructure how those who are at risk of developing PTSD are educated. Through better educational programs, women and men could seek care with increasingly favorable long-term outcomes.