Employment outcomes from VA vocational services involving transitional work for veterans with a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract: Objective: Transitional work (TW) for veterans with psychiatric disabilities is the predominant model of vocational rehabilitation in the Veterans Health Administration (VA). Although, on average, TW employment outcomes have been demonstrated to be inferior to supported employment, little is known about the potential subgroup of veterans for which TW may be most effective. This study of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) examines differences in competitive employment outcomes and identifies characteristics of veterans who chose to engage in TW compared with those who did not. Method: A post hoc comparative subgroup analysis of veterans with PTSD randomly assigned to TW as part of a randomized controlled trial was conducted.