Pretreatment Predictors of Dropout From Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans

Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) can be effective treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but their effectiveness is limited by high rates of premature dropout. Few studies have compared pretreatment characteristics of treatment completers and dropouts, and only one has examined these factors in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) Veterans. This study analyzed archival clinical data from 117 OEF/OIF Veterans evaluated and treated through a Veterans Affairs PTSD clinic. High numbers dropped out of treatment (68%). Treatment dropouts (n = 79) and completers (n = 38) differed significantly on Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) scales, PTSD symptom severity, and age. Regression analyses identified one MMPI-2 scale, TRT (negative treatment indicators), and age as unique but modest predictors of dropout.