PTSD Research
 Using Research to Learn About PTSD Treatment Decision-Making
Choosing a PTSD treatment can feel overwhelming. You are often given a lot of new information at once which can be hard to navigate, even when your provider does a good job explaining your options. To make this process easier, the National Center set out to update the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid. We did research to understand how to best help users learn about their treatment options and make decisions.
In one study, we asked 12 Veterans seeking PTSD care in VA about their treatment planning session (with a mental health clinician). Most Veterans felt their provider presented all options in a neutral way (without bias). About half of Veterans wanted to make the decision about treatment together with their provider, and about half preferred to decide on their own. Providers supported those choices.
We also learned that most Veterans did not remember much detail about the treatments discussed even though they were comfortable with their choice. Some even asked for written information about treatment details.
This is where the Decision Aid can come in handy. We have information, handouts, and videos in this online tool to help you outline your goals and preferences, learn details about treatments, compare options, and create a summary to bring along to your appointment. And you can use the tool any time to learn more—or remind yourself—about what to expect in the treatment you choose.
Read the article led by a team of National Center for PTSD researchers:
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