(PS6-C75) Does Identity Matter? Psychosocial Functioning Among a Sample of Veterans Who Have Experienced Military Sexual Trauma

Male and female Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST) tend to have poorer social, psychological, and physical outcomes compared to civilians and Veterans who have experienced sexual assault outside of military service (Holder et al., 2023; Nichter et al., 2022).  Studies have suggested some differences in endorsement of MST and symptom characteristics following MST across ethno-racial, age, sexuality, and gender-related factors (Bovin et al., 2019; Gibson et al., 2019; Grau et al., 2022; Nichter et al., 2022; Sexton et al., 2018). However, investigations into potential diversity-related patterns of functioning are sparse. The present study assessed the differential impact of identity factors and aspects of psychosocial functioning among Veterans seeking mental health treatment associated with experiences of MST. At initial visits, Veterans (N = 170) completed semi-structured clinical interviews and completed the WHO Disability Scale (WHODAS 2.0, Uston et al., 2010) as part of routine clinical care at a Midwestern  Veteran’s Healthcare Administration hospital. Sixty-eight percent of Veterans in the sample were female, 59%  identified as European American, and 15.7% identified as LGBT. Veterans were on average 43.6 years old. We will evaluate domains of psychosocial functioning (cognition, mobility, self-care, getting along, life activities, and participation in society) and evaluate differential patterns associated with Veterans’ identification of race, age, gender, and sexual identity. Evidence for the differential impact of identity-related factors across psychosocial functioning following MST underscores the importance of assessing salient identity factors and delivering culturally-sensitive trauma-focused care.