No abstract

Investigators surveyed 30 U.S. military veterans with PTSD who reported having benefited from living with a dog. The subject population included men and women aged 34 to 67, with a mean of 56.9 years (SD= 8.1), who were being treated at two Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient clinics. Participants received a questionnaire packet designed to assess aspects of their mental and physical health and relationship with a canine companion, which they completed at home and returned either in person or by mail. The packet consisted of the PTSD Checklist-Military Version (PCL-M); Beck Depression Inventory, Second Edition (BDI-II); Veterans Short Form Health Survey and Health Behaviors Questionnaire (SF-36); Dog Information Sheet; Dog Relationship Questionnaire; and Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale. Respondents indicated that since adopting their dog they had experienced improvement in several areas, including feeling calmer, less lonely, less depressed, and less worried about their and their family’s safety. These results suggest that living with a companion dog may help relieve some of the psychological distress associated with PTSD in some veterans.

Abstract-Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent psychiatric diagnosis among veterans and has high comorbidity with other medical and psychiatric conditions. This article reviews the pharmacotherapy recommendations from the 2010 revised Department of Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for PTSD and provides practical PTSD treatment recommendations for clinicians. While evidence-based, trauma-focused psychotherapy is the preferred treatment for PTSD, pharmacotherapy is also an important treatment option. First-line pharmacotherapy agents include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and the selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine. Second-line agents have less evidence for their usefulness in PTSD and carry a potentially greater side effect burden. They include nefazodone, mirtazapine, tricyclic antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Prazosin is beneficial for nightmares. Benzodiazepines and antipsychotics, either as monotherapy or used adjunctively, are not recommended in the treatment of PTSD. Treating co-occurring disorders, such as major depressive disorder, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injury, is essential in maximizing treatment outcomes in PTSD. The CPG provides evidence-based treatment recommendations for treating PTSD with and without such cooccurring disorders.