Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder with
symptoms that affect social and work situations, employment, and
income. A randomized, controlled, multisite clinical trial was carried
out by the VA Cooperative Study Program to compare two different
interventions aimed at helping Veterans obtain and maintain
competitive employment: the Individual Placement and Support
(IPS) intervention, and the Transitional Work (TW) program. The IPS
intervention included individual job counseling while the TW program
provided temporary employment within VA facilities. We performed
a latent profile analysis, searching for classes of patients with distinct
mental health condition patterns. Classes were determined by 4
scores derived from Veterans’ baseline assessments which measured:
severity of PTSD Symptoms, quality of life, level of disability, and selfesteem. We studied the relationships between the classes and the
probability of achieving permanent employment. We also compared
the cumulative earnings of Veterans across classes. The identification
of aspects that increase the chances of gaining a permanent job could
guide more individualized interventions
