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Effect of Patient-Therapist Gender Match on Psychotherapy Retention Among United States Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

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Abstract

Extant literature suggests that patient-therapist gender matching may be associated with psychotherapy retention. We examined this relationship in a national cohort of Veterans (n = 506,471) initiating psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using multivariate logistic regression models. Overall, women were retained in psychotherapy at higher rates than men. When patient and therapist factors as well as practice patterns are considered, gender match between female patients with PTSD and female therapists was not a positive predictor of psychotherapy retention. Contrary to our expectations, gender match between male patients with PTSD and male therapist was a negative predictor of psychotherapy retention.

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Acknowledgments

This manuscript is the work of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.

Funding

This study was funded by a United States Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Career Development Award to Dr. Shiner (CDA11-263).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. White River Junction VA Medical Center, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA

    Brian Shiner, Christine Leonard Westgate & Juliette M. Harik

  2. VA National Center for PTSD, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA

    Brian Shiner & Paula P. Schnurr

  3. VA National Center for Patient Safety, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Brian Shiner & Bradley V. Watts

  4. Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA

    Brian Shiner, Juliette M. Harik, Bradley V. Watts & Paula P. Schnurr

  5. VA National Center for Patient Safety, 215 North Main Street, White River Junction, VT, 05009, USA

    Brian Shiner & Bradley V. Watts

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  1. Brian Shiner
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  2. Christine Leonard Westgate
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  3. Juliette M. Harik
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  4. Bradley V. Watts
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  5. Paula P. Schnurr
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Correspondence to Brian Shiner.

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Shiner declares that he has no conflict of interest. Ms. Westgate declares that she has no conflicts of interest. Dr. Harik declares that she has no conflicts of interest. Dr. Watts declares that he has no conflicts of interest. Dr. Schnurr declares that she has no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Specifically, this study was reviewed and approved by the White River Junction VA Medical Center Research and Development Committee, the Dartmouth College Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects, and VA National Data Systems.

Informed consent

This retrospective cohort study was granted a waiver of informed consent by the Dartmouth College Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS#24544).

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Shiner, B., Leonard Westgate, C., Harik, J.M. et al. Effect of Patient-Therapist Gender Match on Psychotherapy Retention Among United States Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Adm Policy Ment Health 44, 642–650 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0761-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-016-0761-2

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