Original Research J Clin Psychiatry February 2022

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in US Military Veterans: Results From the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study

JCP 2022;83(2):10.4088/JCP.20m14029

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. Clinical Summary Many US military veterans live with posttraumatic stress disorder, but trauma risk in this population extends beyond combat and may include direct and indirect exposures across the lifespan. This study updates national prevalence estimates and clarifies which trauma exposures are most strongly linked to PTSD and psychosocial impairment, helping clinicians target assessment beyond diagnosis alone. FAQ How common was posttraumatic stress disorder in US military veterans in the 2019–2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study?

Key Takeaways In this nationally representative sample of 4,069 US military veterans, 5.0% screened positive for past-month PTSD; among trauma-exposed veterans, the corresponding estimate was 5.3%, indicating that current symptom burden remains substantial even when analyses are limited to those with Criterion A exposure. Clinical Guide How should clinicians assess PTSD risk in US military veterans based on direct versus indirect trauma exposure? Clinical Guide How should clinicians evaluate psychosocial functional impairment in trauma-exposed veterans with or without full PTSD?