Symptom Patterns and Service Use Among African American and Caucasian Veterans With Combat-Related PTSD

African American (N = 57) and Caucasian (N = 76) combat veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient PTSD treatment clinic were compared on variables related to clinical symptoms and VA service use. Groups were compared on relevant interview (e.g., Clinician Administered PTSD Scale; D. D. Blake et al. 1990) and self-report measures (e.g., Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2; J. N. Butcher, W. G. Dahlstrom, J. R. Graham, A. Tellegen, & B. Kaemmer, 1989). Groups were also compared on demographics, psychiatric comorbidity, VA service use, and disability status. Results revealed few significant between-groups differences, providing further evidence that African American and Caucasian veterans with PTSD do not differ in manifestation of the syndrome or in use of VA services and benefits.