Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) represents not only a clinical challenge but also a major structural and economic burden within the United States military and veteran systems. This dissertation develops an incentive-based rehabilitation framework designed to improve functional recovery, workforce reintegration, and long-term fiscal sustainability among veterans suffering from PTSD. Using a mixed-methods empirical policy research design, the study integrates econometric modeling, regression analysis, behavioral economics, and public policy theory across a multi-source dataset calibrated to U.S. federal and academic data. The research includes three complementary regression models based on 8,305 veteran-year observations and examines the relationship between PTSD severity, labor-force participation, disability compensation dependency, and long-term economic outcomes. The dissertation introduces the National Veterans’ Rehabilitation Authority (NVRA) model — a mechanism-design framework combining graduated compensation structures, supported employment (IPS), AI-assisted rehabilitation management, and Social Impact Bond financing. Findings suggest that the proposed framework could significantly reduce long-term economic burden, improve employment outcomes, decrease dependency cycles, and generate substantial national savings over a 10-year forecast horizon. This research contributes to the fields of rehabilitation economics, behavioral public policy, veterans’ affairs, and mechanism design theory by proposing a measurable, scalable, and economically sustainable rehabilitation architecture for modern military systems.
Shlomo Shitrit (Mon,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: