News Release
Care for Veterans with Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders Requires Improvement
Jul 22, 2020
Post-9/11 veterans are at particularly high risk for co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health disorders. Integrated care—in which both SUDs and mental health problems are addressed concurrently—is a recommended form of treatment for these veterans. This report provides guidance and recommendations to support the delivery of quality care for veterans with co-occurring SUDs and mental health disorders.
Addressing Barriers to Expanding Integrated Treatment Options for Post-9/11 Veterans
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Veterans who have served in the military since September 11, 2001, are at particularly high risk for co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder and depression. Many treatment facilities require abstinence from substances prior to admission for mental health care, but the combination of symptoms that these disorders present makes them difficult to treat separately. Thus, integrated care—in which both SUDs and mental health problems are addressed concurrently—is a recommended form of treatment for these veterans.
To help improve access to effective treatment for these veterans, the authors review the literature on efficacious approaches to treating SUDs alone and alongside mental health disorders. They also present findings from an analysis of the availability of treatment centers that offer SUD care for veterans and from a series of interviews and site visits with treatment providers. The authors conclude with guidance and recommendations to support the delivery of quality care for veterans with SUDs and, ultimately, to help expand and enhance treatment opportunities for veterans with co-occurring SUDs and mental health disorders.
Chapter One
Introduction
Chapter Two
Prevalence of Behavioral Health Problems Among Veterans and Barriers to Care
Chapter Three
Treatments for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
Chapter Four
Availability and Accessibility of Treatment Centers for Veterans with Substance Use Disorders and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders
Chapter Five
Perspectives and Experiences of Treating Co-Occurring Disorders
Chapter Six
Conclusions and Recommendations
Appendix A
Overview of Studies Included in the Literature Reviews
Appendix B
Mental Health Treatment Facilities and Substance Use Treatment Facilities Within a 30-Minute Drive Time of 2019 Alumni Survey Respondents
This study was funded by the Wounded Warrior Project and carried out within the Quality Measurement and Improvement program in RAND Health Care.
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