Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37084828›Full record

Observational studyJournal of pain and symptom management2023

Factors Associated With Distress Related to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the End of Life Among U.S. Veterans.

Anica Pless Kaiser, Jennifer Moye, Lola Baird, Zachary Sager, Melissa Wachterman

Open access · greenAbstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of pain and symptom management, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Older Veterans admitted to VA Community Living Centers: Prevalence and Risk Correlates.The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Anica Pless KaiserVA Boston Healthcare System (A.P.K., J.M., L.B., Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; VA National Center for PTSD (A.P.K.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine (A.P.K.), Boston Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: Anica.PlessKaiser@va.gov.
Jennifer MoyeVA Boston Healthcare System (A.P.K., J.M., L.B., Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (J.M., Z.S.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School (J.M., J.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA.
Lola BairdVA Boston Healthcare System (A.P.K., J.M., L.B., Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA.
Zachary SagerVA Boston Healthcare System (A.P.K., J.M., L.B., Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (J.M., Z.S.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School (J.M., J.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA.
Melissa WachtermanVA Boston Healthcare System (A.P.K., J.M., L.B., Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School (J.M., J.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research (M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Z.S., M.W.), Boston Massachusetts, USA.
VA Boston Healthcare System · USNational Center for PTSD · US

Funding

Deciding about Dialysis: Improving Decision-Making Among Older Adults with ESRDK23AG049088 · NIA · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI WACHTERMAN, MELISSA · 2015 to 2022
$919k
NIA NIH HHS K23 AG049088RRD VA IK2 RX001832
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

contextPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may emerge or re-emerge at end of life (EOL), increasing patient suffering. Understanding factors associated with PTSD at EOL may assist clinicians in identifying high risk veterans.

objectivesTo determine rates of and variables associated with PTSD-related distress at EOL.

methodsRetrospective observational cohort study including veterans who died within a Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient setting between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2018 whose next-of-kin completed the Bereaved Family Survey (BFS; N = 42,474). Our primary outcome was PTSD-related distress at EOL, as reported by veteran decedents' next-of-kin on the BFS. Predictors of interest included combat exposure, demographic variables, medical and psychiatric comorbidity, primary serious illness, and palliative care support.

resultsVeteran decedents were majority male (97.7%), non-Hispanic white (77.2%), 65 years or older (80.5%), without combat exposure (80.1%). Almost one in ten (8.9%) veteran decedents experienced PTSD-related distress at EOL. In adjusted analyses, combat exposure, younger age, male sex, and non-white race were associated with PTSD-related distress at EOL. High overall medical comorbidity, dementia, and psychiatric comorbidities including both substance use disorder and depression, were also associated with PTSD-related distress at EOL. Palliative care consultation and emotional support were associated with decreased odds of PTSD-related distress, while pain was associated with increased odds of PTSD-related distress at EOL.

conclusionTrauma and PTSD screening, pain management, and providing palliative care and emotional support at EOL, particularly in at-risk groups such as veterans from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds and those with dementia, are critical to decreasing PTSD-related distress at EOL.

Indexed as

DementiaStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticVeteransComorbidityDeathEthnicityHumansMaleMinority GroupsRetrospective StudiesUnited Statesdementiaend-of-lifehealth disparitiespalliative carePTSDveterans

Identifiers

PMID37084828
PMCPMC10524384
OpenAlexW4366417249

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.