The Efficacy of Group Therapy as a Primary Treatment for Military Veterans

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and moral injury (MI) are often comorbid in military veterans. While various manualized group treatments have demonstrated efficacy in reducing symptom severity, the effect sizes for these diverse treatments have been similar indicating something other than the intervention (e.g., peer social support) may be driving symptom reduction. This mixed methods study examined the efficacy of non-manualized group psychotherapy for reducing PTSD and MI symptom severity in military veterans. The sample (n = 34) consisted of post-911 and Vietnam military veterans, aged 30 - 78, who attended voluntary government and non-government funded PTSD groups in southcentral Pennsylvania. Participants completed self-report measures of symptom severity at the beginning of the study and again at the end of the 12-week period. Next, I conducted interviews with individual participants. Results revealed statistically significant, but clinically weak, reductions in both PTSD and MI symptom severity. Interviews revealed that participants continued to experience both hyperarousal and increased self-reflection after the intervention. Interviews also indicated that participants valued the camaraderie and social support of the group over symptom reduction. They reported a preference for the company of other veterans and providers who are veterans over non-veteran providers. The study results provide insight into the importance of group work for veterans for improving quality of life, and give voice to the veterans’ living with PTSD and MI.