TY - JOUR
T1 - Feasibility of a Skills-Based Group Reintegration Workshop for OEF/OIF Veterans
T2 - STEP-Home
AU - Fortier, Catherine Brawn
AU - Kenna, Alexandra
AU - Dams-O'Connor, Kristen
AU - Fonda, Jennifer
AU - Levin, Laura K.
AU - Hursh, Colleen
AU - Franz, Hannah
AU - Milberg, William P.
AU - McGlinchey, Regina E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/7/1
Y1 - 2018/7/1
N2 - Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a newly developed reintegration workshop for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans that is based on an evidence-based rehabilitation program shown to be effective in treating mild traumatic brain injury-related symptoms in civilians. Underutilization and resistance to mental health treatment remain a significant problem for OEF/OIF Veterans. Innovative, integrative, transdiagnostic, and acceptable interventions are needed, particularly for this heterogeneous group. Participants: Eighty-four OEF/OIF/Operation New Dawn Veterans (74 male and 10 female) - mean age = 35; standard deviation = 7.4. Setting: VA Healthcare System. Intervention: A 12-week, 2-hour/wk, group skills-based workshop with individual skill building to assist all OEF/OIF Veterans (with and without psychiatric and/or traumatic brain injury) in reintegration after military service. Main Measures: Primary outcomes were feasibility measures including treatment fidelity, acceptability, tolerability/adherence, and treatment-related skill acquisition. Secondary outcomes were interest and engagement in future treatment and reintegration status. Results: Veterans' enrollment, adherence, and attrition data indicated that Short-Term Executive Plus adapted for Veteran civilian reintegration (STEP-Home) was acceptable and tolerable. Pre-/postintervention differences in attention, problem-solving, and emotional regulation skills demonstrated treatment-related skills acquisition. Secondary outcome data demonstrated Veterans who were hesitant to participate in mental health treatments before enrollment were more open to treatment engagement after STEP-Home, and reintegration status improved. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the STEP-Home workshop is feasible in OEF/OIF Veterans and changes in treatment-related skill acquisition and reintegration status were observed. STEP-Home has potential to facilitate readjustment and serves as a gateway to additional, critically needed Veterans Administration services.
AB - Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of a newly developed reintegration workshop for Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF/OIF) Veterans that is based on an evidence-based rehabilitation program shown to be effective in treating mild traumatic brain injury-related symptoms in civilians. Underutilization and resistance to mental health treatment remain a significant problem for OEF/OIF Veterans. Innovative, integrative, transdiagnostic, and acceptable interventions are needed, particularly for this heterogeneous group. Participants: Eighty-four OEF/OIF/Operation New Dawn Veterans (74 male and 10 female) - mean age = 35; standard deviation = 7.4. Setting: VA Healthcare System. Intervention: A 12-week, 2-hour/wk, group skills-based workshop with individual skill building to assist all OEF/OIF Veterans (with and without psychiatric and/or traumatic brain injury) in reintegration after military service. Main Measures: Primary outcomes were feasibility measures including treatment fidelity, acceptability, tolerability/adherence, and treatment-related skill acquisition. Secondary outcomes were interest and engagement in future treatment and reintegration status. Results: Veterans' enrollment, adherence, and attrition data indicated that Short-Term Executive Plus adapted for Veteran civilian reintegration (STEP-Home) was acceptable and tolerable. Pre-/postintervention differences in attention, problem-solving, and emotional regulation skills demonstrated treatment-related skills acquisition. Secondary outcome data demonstrated Veterans who were hesitant to participate in mental health treatments before enrollment were more open to treatment engagement after STEP-Home, and reintegration status improved. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the STEP-Home workshop is feasible in OEF/OIF Veterans and changes in treatment-related skill acquisition and reintegration status were observed. STEP-Home has potential to facilitate readjustment and serves as a gateway to additional, critically needed Veterans Administration services.
KW - OEF/OIF
KW - PTSD
KW - TBI
KW - Veteran
KW - cognition
KW - emotional regulation
KW - feasibility
KW - group therapy
KW - mental health
KW - problem-solving
KW - reintegration
KW - stigma
KW - treatment resistance
KW - treatment underutilization
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85052678615
U2 - 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000362
DO - 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000362
M3 - Article
C2 - 29194181
AN - SCOPUS:85052678615
SN - 0885-9701
VL - 33
SP - E17-E23
JO - Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
JF - Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation
IS - 4
ER -