Characterizing mental health care utilization for veterans with PTSD in the year after a suicide attempt

The goal of this study was to characterize mental health care utilization, including variables associated with initiation of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP), among veterans with PTSD in the year following a suicide attempt. In a national survey of veterans with a recent suicide attempt, 431 had a diagnosis of PTSD and were included in the present study. Patients completed self-report measures of PTSD symptom severity, stigma, and logistic barriers to care. Mental health utilization data were extracted from the electronic health record. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize mental health care utilization in the year after a suicide attempt, and regression analyses were used to identify patient- and health service-related factors associated with PTSD EBP initiation. The majority of the sample received eight or more outpatient mental health visits in the year following the index suicide attempt (95.8%); however, only 10.4% initiated a PTSD EBP, and even fewer (4.2%) received a minimally adequate treatment dose (e.g., eight or more sessions). PTSD severity, stigma, and logistic barriers to care did not account for significant variance in PTSD EBP initiation. In addition to outpatient psychotherapy, the majority of patients received an antidepressant-related medication (90.7%), and a substantial portion experienced subsequent psychiatric hospitalization (46.2%). Although the majority of patients received eight or more outpatient mental health visits, few engaged in a PTSD EBP, suggesting that additional work is needed to determine how best to time PTSD treatment in the context of a recent suicide attempt. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).