Behavioral Health Treatment Receipt Among a Community Sample of Young Adult Veterans

Abstract

Young adult veterans are at risk for behavioral health problems such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance misuse. Despite this, studies of veterans within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA) indicate that about half of those warranting treatment receive it in any form, with few receiving an adequate dose of care. For this study, the behavioral health screening status and behavioral health usage (including care outside of VA settings) among a community sample of 812 young adult veterans recruited from the Internet is described. Although approximately 70% of the sample screened positive for behavioral health problems, one-fifth to three-fifths of those screening positive reported any mental health or substance use treatment in the past year, with one-third or less receiving a dose of minimally adequate psychotherapy or psychotropic care. Findings expand on prior work and suggest more effort is necessary to engage young veterans in behavioral health services.

Treatment challenges and health conditions among people living with HIV with or without substance use disorder in the Russian Federation

“…Consequently, whereas only 15.2% of those diagnosed in the past year in our study had a self-reported diagnosis of a substance use disorder, Beyrer and colleagues report that in 2016, people who inject drugs comprised 48.8% of all new diagnosis (Beyrer et al, 2017). There is need for barrier-free access to mental health services and addiction among PLHIV with substance use disorder (Pedersen et al, 2017).…”

Behavioral Health Care in the Military Health System: Access and Quality for Remote Service Members

“…The proportion who received "minimally adequate" psychotherapy (defined as eight sessions with an MH provider in the previous 12 months) was 17.2 percent for PTSD and 21.5 percent for depression. "Minimally adequate" pharmacotherapy (defined as four appointments with a doctor or MH professional and taking medication as long as prescribed in the previous 12 months) was 23.9 percent for PTSD and 28.6 percent for depression (Pedersen, Marshall, and Kurz, 2017). Given the different definitions of minimally adequate care, it is difficult to make comparisons between the results of our study and other published findings.…”

“…In another study of veterans diagnosed with AUD in 2012, 17 percent initiated care within 14 days, and 5 percent engaged in care, either specialty care or AUD care in a hospital setting (Bensley et al, 2017). Pedersen, Marshall, and Kurz (2017) reported on a group of 812 veterans with positive screens for MH or substance use problems. Their surveys of the veterans with hazardous alcohol use revealed that only 20.7 percent had received any care for substance use in the previous year, and just 6.5 percent had received minimally adequate care (defined as eight psychotherapy appointments in the previous 12 months).…”

Improving Substance Use Care: Addressing Barriers to Expanding Integrated Treatment Options for Post-9/11 Veterans

“…Problematic cannabis use, which is defined as heavy use and consequences that may or may not reach CUD diagnostic levels, is a significant problem among veterans (Kevorkian et al, 2015;Goldman et al, 2010). Rates of problematic cannabis use were estimated at 10 percent in one large community sample of veterans (Pedersen, Marshall, and Kurz, 2017).…”

“…A large population-based survey of veterans who had deployed as part of OEF/OIF found that only 30 percent of those with probable PTSD or depression had received minimally adequate psychotherapy and that 22 percent had received a minimally adequate course of pharmacotherapy (Tanielian and Jaycox, 2008). In a 2017 study of veterans age 19-34 recruited online, only one-third who screened positive for depression, anxiety, PTSD, or hazardous cannabis use and about one-fifth of those who screened positive for hazardous alcohol use reported receiving minimally adequate care in the previous year (Pedersen, Marshall, and Kurz, 2017).…”