Increased Smoking Cessation Among Veterans With Large Decreases in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Severity.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Improvement in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with better health behavior such as better medication adherence and greater use of nutrition and weight loss programs. However, it is not known if reducing PTSD severity is associated with smoking cessation, a poor health behavior common in patients with PTSD.

Aims and methods

Veterans Health Affairs (VHA) medical record data (2008-2015) were used to identify patients with PTSD diagnosed in specialty care. Clinically meaningful PTSD improvement was defined as ≥20 point PTSD Checklist (PCL) decrease from the first PCL ≥50 and the last available PCL within 12 months and at least 8 weeks later. The association between clinically meaningful PTSD improvement and smoking cessation within 2 years after b

SUBMITTER: Salas J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8807212 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature