Cover Image
QR Code

The Veterans Health Administration and military sexual trauma.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the utility of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) universal screening program for military sexual violence. METHODS: We analyzed VHA administrative data for 185,880 women and 4139888 men who were veteran outpatients and were treated in VHA health care settings nationwid...

Full description

Published in:American Journal of Public Health Vol. 97; no. 12; pp. 2160 - 2167
Main Authors: Kimerling R, Gima K, Smith MW, Street A, Frayne S
Format: research Journal Article
Published: American Public Health Association Dec2007
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=105943925&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: ccm
    uiTerm: 105943925
    longDbName: CINAHL Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    dissinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        00900036
        APH
      jtl: American Journal of Public Health
      issn: 00900036
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Dec2007
      vid: 97
      iid: 12
      pid: 44
      pub: American Public Health Association
      place: Washington, District of Columbia
    artinfo:
      ui:
        105943925
        28073631
        2009759109
        10.2105/AJPH.2006.092999
        NLM17971558
        105943925
      ppf: 2160
      ppct: 7
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
      tig:
        atl: The Veterans Health Administration and military sexual trauma.
      aug:
        au:
          Kimerling R
          Gima K
          Smith MW
          Street A
          Frayne S
      sug:
        subj:
          Health Screening
          Military Personnel
          Sexual Abuse Prevention and Control
          Sexual Harassment Prevention and Control
          Adult
          Aged
          Comorbidity
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Demography
          Female
          Male
          Middle Age
          Risk Factors
          Sexual Abuse
          Sexual Harassment
          Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Epidemiology
          United States Department of Veterans Affairs
          United States
          Human
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Aged: 65+ years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Female
          Male
      ab: OBJECTIVES: We examined the utility of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) universal screening program for military sexual violence. METHODS: We analyzed VHA administrative data for 185,880 women and 4139888 men who were veteran outpatients and were treated in VHA health care settings nationwide during 2003. RESULTS: Screening was completed for 70% of patients. Positive screens were associated with greater odds of virtually all categories of mental health comorbidities, including posttraumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=8.83; 99% confidence interval [CI] = 8.34, 9.35 for women; AOR = 3.00; 99% CI = 2.89, 3.12 for men). Associations with medical comorbidities (e.g., chronic pulmonary disease, liver disease, and for women, weight conditions) were also observed. Significant gender differences emerged. CONCLUSIONS: The VHA policies regarding military sexual trauma represent a uniquely comprehensive health care response to sexual trauma. Results attest to the feasibility of universal screening, which yields clinically significant information with particular relevance to mental health and behavioral health treatment. Women's health literature regarding sexual trauma will be particularly important to inform health care services for both male and female veterans.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
    refInfo:
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N