WASHINGTON — Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield announced today the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will convene a “consensus conference” with the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health to improve the designs and methodologies all three agencies will use in future research studies regarding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
On October 18, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report which concluded exposure-based therapies such as prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy have proven to be effective treatments for PTSD, while more research is needed on pharmacotherapy to determine its effectiveness.
“IOM’s findings have important implications for the future of PTSD treatment for veterans and all Americans,” said Mansfield. “We will use their report as a blueprint to guide our future research and treatment efforts.”
Mansfield is requiring VA staff to work closely with the Department of Defense to study how early interventions such as the Army’s “Battlemind” training and the “Marine Operational Stress Surveillance and Training Program,” both of which are designed to help servicemembers transition from combat back to home, can improve outcomes for veterans with PTSD. He has directed future VA studies to pay particular attention to the prevalence of PTSD in special populations, such as women veterans and older veterans who may be just beginning to manifest the illness’ symptoms.
Responding specifically to the study from IOM, VA has announced the Department will take steps to ensure it provides the best available treatments to veterans with PTSD, and that it will enhance its research in line with IOM’s recommendations.
“VA research has led to the success of the therapies IOM believes are currently effective,” Mansfield concluded. “And the work our researchers are already doing will help answer many of IOM’s questions on the effectiveness of pharmacological treatments. I am confident we will soon make giant strides in our ability to successfully treat this difficult illness. Meanwhile, VA providers are doing an excellent job developing treatments that work for individual patients. VA providers have expert knowledge and skills to help veterans with PTSD and we can always find ways to improve and enhance our care for our nation’s heroes.”
A date and location for the conference will be announced separately.
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