Development of a PTSD Population Registry

Abstract : The purpose of this project is to develop the first longitudinal registry of combat-exposed men and women with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This registry will provide essential data on the natural history and outcomes associated with PTSD in military service men and women who have utilized the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. An additional goal of this project is to determine risk factors for PTSD among combat-exposed service men and women by incorporating a combat-exposed non-PTSD group of veterans into the registry. Thus, the registry will allow an evaluation of current theoretical models of symptom development in a large sample of service men and women who utilize the VA medical system. There are no findings to report at this time as the project protocol was recently approved by OHRP on August 8, 2009. Now that OHRP and all site IRB approvals have been obtained, the pilot phase is slated to begin in September 2009.