Addressing Race-Based Trauma for Black Veterans Engaged in PTSD Evidence-Based Psychotherapy

Prior studies indicate that Black veterans demonstrate less posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom improvement than White veterans following PTSD evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs). Our aims were to: (1) determine needs, perceptions, and experiences of Black veterans engaging in PTSD EBPs, (2) understand how race-based trauma has or has not been incorporated into these EBPs; and (3) determine the perceived efficacy of current PTSD evidence-based psychotherapies in supporting veterans with experiences of race-based trauma. In semi-structured qualitative interviews, 20 Black veterans who had participated in either Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), or both were asked questions about the incorporation of race-based trauma into their PTSD EBP and invited to share suggestions for how to improve PTSD EBPs. Audio-recorded interviews were analyzed using Rapid Assessment Procedures (RAP). Participants also completed self-report surveys providing descriptive information on the frequency of discriminatory experiences and trauma-related symptoms throughout their lifetime. The results of the study highlighted how race-based trauma is distinct from other traumatic experiences, the need to be proactive in asking veterans about these experiences, and the limitations of current PTSD EBPs in addressing these experiences. These findings have important implications for how race-based trauma is incorporated into and addressed in PTSD EBPs for Black veterans.