A survey analysis of clinician attitude, knowledge, and potential bias toward Vietnam veteran patients and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A Washington, D.C. area sample (N = 453, 21% response rate) of mental health clinicians responded to a survey on Vietnam veterans and PTSD. Although the three clinician groups (psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers) differed in their attitudes about the war and its veterans, most clinicians surveyed (across the three groups) held well-established beliefs that were resistant to biasing through exposure to simple statements of stereotypical views on this subject. The clinicians in this sample were relatively well-informed and, for the most part, did not endorse formerly prevalent unfavorable stereotypes about the Vietnam veteran. However, beliefs tended to cluster based on individual experience, clinical interest in this population, and emotional investment in particular viewpoints. The clinicians overall supported community-based Vietnam veteran outreach services and saw the need for further research and professional training to work with Vietnam veterans and other potential sufferers of PTSD.