| This retrospective study assessed volunteer service as an occupational therapy intervention with Vietnam combat veterans at the National Center for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (NC-PTSD). The research examined variables influencing self-selection, evaluated treatment efficacy, and identified characteristics of patients most responsive to treatment.; Eighty-four inpatients were divided into groups based on volunteer hours: treatment ({dollar}ge{dollar} 20 hours), partial treatment (1-19 hours), and control (0 hours). Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory--2 subscales, the Mississippi Scale for combat-related PTSD, and the Beck Depression Inventory were employed as measures of PTSD symptoms, depression, self-esteem, and socialization skills. Data were analyzed with parametric statistics.; The results indicated the following: (a) amount of participation in volunteer service was significantly correlated with the length of inpatient treatment (p {dollar}<{dollar}.001); (b) the treatment group demonstrated greater improvement than the control group in all four measures but these differences did not reach statistical significance; and (c) individuals with fewer diagnoses (p =.03) and greater childhood abuse (p =.04) responded best to volunteer service intervention. |
