Comparing Change During Therapy for Military Veteran and Civilian Students

Understanding group differences in psychotherapy outcomes can help mental health practitioners develop effective treatment plans based on knowledge of specific populations. This study examined differences in psychological symptoms during therapy for military veteran and civilian students using latent growth curve models (LGCMs). Samples of 1,822 military veteran and 1,822 civilian students who attended therapy during the 2016–2018 and 2021–2023 academic years and completed the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34 (CCAPS-34) during two or more sessions were used. There were no differences in LGCM parameters across military veteran and civilian students for Depression and Academic Distress scales. There were minor differences across groups on the Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, and Eating Concerns scales, where civilian students had higher initial levels of distress than military veteran students. The largest differences were for the Hostility and Alcohol Use scales, where military veteran students had higher initial levels of distress, faster rates of change across sessions, and greater variability in initial levels and rates of change compared to civilian students. Practitioners providing services to military veteran students may need to carefully consider hostility and alcohol use with this population and consider treatments studied with military veterans.