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Although recent studies suggest that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and pain may be related, the possible mediational role of depression in this relationship has not been examined. This study sought to examine this question in a sample of 130 male veterans seeking assessment or treatment for deployment-related PTSD. Results suggest that PTSD and pain are moderately related (r = .29) but that this relationship is fully mediated by depression. Our findings have important clinical implications: Treatment of PTSD and pain in veteran populations should include careful assessment and regular monitoring of depression.

This study aimed to identify predictors of treatment seeking in military members with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using data from the 2002 Canadian Community Health Survey-Canadian Forces Supplement (Statistics Canada, 2003). To identify predictors, two complementary analyses (binary logistic regression and recursive partitioning of independent variables) were conducted in military members with PTSD (N = 509). Results indicate that trauma-related (index traumatic event type, cumulative trauma exposure), demographic (marital status), enabling (income), and need (PTSD interference) factors predict treatment seeking in military members with PTSD, and that treatment seekers and nontreatment seekers are both comprised of distinct subgroups. Interventions aimed at increasing treatment-seeking behaviors should be tailored to the specific needs of various subgroups of nontreatment seekers.