how many veterans seek treatment

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (46.6 million in 2017). More than 1.7 million Veterans received treatment in a VA mental health specialty program in fiscal year 2018. VA offers a wide range of mental health services to Veterans.

Full Answer

How many veterans receive mental health treatment?

According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2.1 million veterans received mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the five year period from 2006 through 2010.

How many veterans receive VA care each year?

Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, a total of 738,212 of these Veterans accessed VA health care.

What are the treatment options for substance abuse in veterans?

These include both behavioral and pharmacological treatments, and range on a spectrum from preventive screening to residential treatment programs. SUD treatment services are available to veterans connected with VA Medical Centers (VAMC) across the country.

How many military veterans are in the United States?

In 2019, there were over 17 million military veterans in the United States. Physical health, mental health, and health care services are especially important for military veterans given the stressful and strenuous work that can be involved in such an occupation.

How many veterans are treated by the VA?

9 million VeteransThe Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 VA Medical Centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA ...

How many veterans don't get the help they need?

These decades-long conflicts have left survivors with invisible wounds that require treatment, but too many of those who suffer under those burdens have been denied means to get help. While only 1.7 percent of veterans were excluded from VA health care in the World War II era, today 6.5 percent are denied care.

How many veterans with PTSD seek treatment?

According to a study conducted by the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research, less than half of returning veterans needing mental health services receive any treatment at all, and of those receiving treatment for PTSD and major depression, less than one-third are receiving evidence-based care.

Why do veterans not go to therapy?

It could be that they are afraid to face the fact that something is wrong for fear of what may happen to them or to their family. One way or another, a veteran who may be behaving differently than pre-deployment, is simply unable or unwilling to admit a problem.

Why is it hard for veterans to get healthcare?

Veterans avoided seeking care because of concern about stigma, frustration about the inconvenience and cost of healthcare, and competing life priorities, including finding work, housing, and providing for family while trying to succeed academically.

Can the VA refuse to treat you?

You can agree to or refuse any treatment. You will be told what is likely to happen to you if you refuse a treatment. Refusing a treatment will not affect your rights to future care but you take responsibility for the impact this decision may have on your health.

What percentage of veterans suffer from mental illness?

First, about 41 percent, or about 1.7 million veterans, in this cohort have a mental health need, as shown Table 6-5.

What percentage of vets suffer from PTSD?

Combat Veterans Face Increased Risk Among veterans who served in active combat, 17 percent reported symptoms of PTSD. There are several possible reasons for this.

What percentage of veterans have PTSD 2021?

75 percentIn 2021, about 75 percent of U.S. veteran and active service survey respondents stated they have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their military service after 9/11.

Why do veterans not talk about their service?

Civilians do not like to hear about killing, and combat soldiers do not want to talk about it. There is no euphemistic way to talk about killing, and there is no eloquent way to describe a violent death. So, in order to cope, soldiers have invented their own private language to talk about these subjects.

Do veterans seek help for PTSD?

Seek help and treatment from the VA and other military resources. While friends and family can be helpful to veterans with PTSD, there are more advanced services and treatment options offered by the VA and other military organizations to help former service members facing this condition.

Ptsd Statistics By Trauma

PTSD is rooted in traumatic events. The following statistics illustrate the percentage of people who will likely develop PTSD after experiencing these traumatic events:

Contact Cuddigan Law For Help With Your Ptsd Claim

The experienced legal team at Cuddigan Law recognizes and respects the sacrifices veterans have made to protect this country. If youre a veteran suffering from PTSD, we can help you obtain the disability benefits you need to care for yourself and your loved ones. Its possible that you qualify for financial assistance from the VA.

Risk Factors For Ptsd In Veterans

A number of factors have been shown to increase the risk of PTSD in the veteran population, including younger age at the time of the trauma, racial minority status, lower socioeconomic status, lower military rank, lower education, higher number of deployments, longer deployments, prior psychological problems, and lack of social support from family, friends, and community .

I Have Ptsd How Can The Ptsd Coach Canada Application Helpme

If youve been diagnosed with PTSD, the tools in the PTSD Coach Canada Application mayhelp you manage your symptoms. However, it is not meant to be a replacement for professional care. If youare currently in treatment for PTSD, you should talk with your provider about using PTSD Coach Canada as part of yourwork together.

Ptsd Treatment For Veterans: Effective Approaches

Thankfully, there are several effective and evidence-based forms of mental health care designed to treat veterans experiencing PTSD. In fact, the U.S.

Getting Help For Veterans And Their Families

Veterans may be tough, but there is nothing weak in asking for help. Mental health help for veterans is available, and so is help for their families. Types of treatment include professional psychotherapy and psychiatry and PTSD support groups, as well as support groups for other mental illnesses in veterans.

Ptsd And Substance Abuse

PTSD and substance abuse often co-occur. One study estimates that 46.4 percent of people with PTSD also meet the criteria for a substance use disorder. PTSD and alcohol use disorders may be even more closely related due to the legality of alcohol, which makes it more easily accessible than other substances.

How many veterans have mental health?

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (46.6 million in 2017). More than 1.7 million Veterans received treatment in a VA mental health specialty program in fiscal year 2018. VA offers a wide range of mental health services to Veterans. The goal of VA mental health care is ...

How many veterans have schizophrenia?

Schizophrenia is a chronic and severe psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 120,000 Veterans receiving VA health care, according to a 2014 study. People affected with the disorder may experience hallucinations, delusions, difficulty feeling pleasure, and trouble focusing or paying attention.

What are the accomplishments of the VA?

Selected Major Accomplishments in VA Research 1 1941: Set up a research lab at the Northport VA Medical Center, to conduct clinical and biomedical research in neuropsychiatric disorders 2 1989: Created the National Center for PTSD to address the needs of Veterans and other trauma survivors with PTSD 3 1997: Identified a gene associated with a major risk for schizophrenia 4 2003: Determined that while atypical antipsychotic drugs vary in cost, there is limited evidence of differences in effectiveness 5 2006: Developed, through VA's TIDES project, an evidence-based collaborative approach to depression management 6 2013: 7 Determined an association between homelessness among Veterans and childhood problems such as abuse and family instability 8 Found that a loss of gray matter in three separate brain structures is common across a spectrum of psychiatric disorders widely perceived to be distinct 9 2016: Found that the use of an injectable antipsychotic led to significant cost-savings related to inpatient admissions of patients with schizophrenia compared to oral atypical antipsychotics 10 2017: Learned that compensatory cognitive training (CCT) can improve thinking ability, psychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in people with severe mental illnesses

What are VA investigators looking for in a patient?

VA investigators are also looking at the co-occurrence of mental health issues and physical disorders —for instance, depression in those with spinal cord injury, or substance use disorder in patients with chronic pain.

How many hours a day is mental health care available at VA?

Emergency mental health care is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at VA medical centers. Facilities that do not have 24-hour emergency rooms must provide emergency services through a local non-VA hospital.

What is VA research?

VA researchers are looking at potential new approaches for treating and preventing mental health disorders. They are also working on related projects such as developing and evaluating collaborative primary care models and improving access to services from rural and other remote areas by using the internet and other technologies.

What is the VA mental health department?

The goal of VA mental health care is to support recovery and enable Veterans who experience mental health problems to live meaningful lives in their communities and achieve their full potential. The department aims to provide coordinated care for the whole person, not just for the person's mental illness.

How many veterans accessed VA health care in 2015?

Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, a total of 738,212 of these Veterans accessed VA health care.

How often does the VA report on health care utilization?

VA produced a health care utilization report four times a year containing data on Veterans who have used VA health care and who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), or Operation New Dawn (OND) from 2003 through 2017. These reports provided a cumulative tally of diagnoses from health care encounters between 2003 and 2015. The report findings provided an accurate snapshot of the magnitude of recent Veterans accessing the VA system, the diagnoses driving care utilization, and the demographic and military characteristics that described the population of post 9/11 Veterans.#N#Changes in the availability and character of data sources that supported this report meant it could not be produced in the same manner. New data sources, epidemiological studies and other reports have supplanted this information and provided more detailed understanding of the OEF/OIF/OND population.

How is VA health care utilization report created?

The VA health care utilization report is created by comparing a Department of Defense roster of returning Veterans to VA’s electronic inpatient and outpatient health records.

What are the health issues veterans face?

Those who have served in the military have been shown to be more prone to some specific health issues than those who have not served. A report published by the CDC in 2021 found that male veterans were more likely to report having multiple chronic health conditions than their nonveteran counterparts, with 30 percent of veterans aged 25 to 64 years reporting multiple chronic conditions compared to 18 percent of nonveterans. Chronic health conditions that male veterans were more likely to report suffering from included hypertension, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. Another survey from a different source found that among Iraq and Afgahnistan veterans who had a service-related injury, 41 percent stated this injury always affected their daily life, while 30 percent stated their injury affected their daily life most of the time.

How many people have health insurance in the military?

Health insurance rates have been shown to be higher among those who have served in the military with around 11.75 million U.S. Americans with health insurance through military health care in 2018 . Those who have served in the military have been shown to be more prone to some specific health issues than those who have not served.

What were the most common injuries veterans experienced after 9/11?

Although physical injuries are often the first to come to mind when thinking about service-related injuries among veterans, some of the most common injuries and health problems reported by veterans during service after 9/11 include sleep problems , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. In fact a survey of veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001 found that almost 83 percent reported experiencing PTSD. Due to the intense nature of the work and the susceptibility of mental health problems such as PTSD and depression, suicide among veterans remains a serious and ongoing problem in the United States. However, a large share of veterans suffering from mental illness or substance use disorder do not receive the treatment they require.

Why is physical health important for veterans?

Physical health, mental health and health care services are especially important for military veterans given the stressful and strenuous work that can be involved in such an occupation. In the United States, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), a subdivision of the Department of Veteran Affairs ...

What are some examples of physical injuries veterans have?

Some of the most commonly reported service-related physical injuries among veterans include musculoskeletal and joint injuries, tinnitus, hearing loss, and traumatic brain injury.

What is Veterans Day 2020?

In recognition of Veterans Day 2020 NCVAS developed an online story, Veterans Day 2020: Honoring the 30th Anniversary of the Gulf War. It recognizes the service of the cohort of veterans who served in the Pre-911 Gulf War era, 2) reports trends in their utilization of VA benefits and services, and 3) encourages all Veterans to apply for the benefits and services they have earned.

How to save a VA table?

To download any of the tables on this page, right click on the associated link and select “Save Target As.” Then, save the document to the location of your choice.

What is the VA population projection?

The Veteran Population Projection Model 2018 (VetPop2018) provides the latest official Veteran population projection from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). VetPop2018 is a deterministic projection model developed by the office of Predictive Analytics to estimate and project the Veteran Population from Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 to FY2048. Using the best available Veteran data at the end of FY2018 as the base population. VetPop2018 projects living and deceased Veteran counts by key demographic characteristics such as age, gender, period of service, and race/ethnicity at various geographic levels for the next 30 years. See VetPop2018 A Brief Description and more detailed information will be provided later.

What is VA data strategy?

VA released VA Data Strategy which supports the Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan by providing the overarching vision, goals, and sub-goals to transform the Department into a data-centric enterprise. This data strategy empowers VA employees at all levels of the organization to treat data as a strategic asset to improve the services and benefits delivered to our Nation's Veterans. March 23, 2021

What benefits do survivors get for Memorial Day 2020?

The 2020 Memorial Day Visualization highlights survivors use of VA benefits: Dependency and Indemnity, Compensation, Home Loan Guaranty, Survivors' Pension and Education..

When will VA release 2020 Memorial Day?

Also included is a comparison of Veterans who used VA benefits to Veterans who did not use VA benefits. May 29, 2020. VA released 2020 Memorial Day Visualization The 2020 Memorial Day Visualization highlights survivors use of VA benefits: Dependency and Indemnity, Compensation, Home Loan Guaranty, Survivors' Pension, and Education.

What is VetPop16?

VetPop16 provides the latest official Veteran population by key demographic characteristics such as age/generations, gender, period of service and race/ethnicity at the national, state and Congressional District levels for the next 30 years.

What are the benefits of VA?

This VA infographic highlights survivors use of VA benefits: Dependency and Indemnity, Compensation, Home Loan Guaranty, Survivors' Pension, and Education.

What is Veterans Day 2020?

In recognition of Veterans Day 2020 NCVAS developed an online story, Veterans Day 2020: Honoring the 30th Anniversary of the Gulf War. It recognizes the service of the cohort of veterans who served in the Pre-911 Gulf War era, 2) reports trends in their utilization of VA benefits and services, and 3) encourages all Veterans to apply for the benefits and services they have earned.

What is VA data strategy?

VA released VA Data Strategy which supports the Department of Veterans Affairs Strategic Plan by providing the overarching vision, goals, and sub-goals to transform the Department into a data-centric enterprise. This data strategy empowers VA employees at all levels of the organization to treat data as a strategic asset to improve the services and benefits delivered to our Nation's Veterans. March 23, 2021

What is VA profile?

This VA profile provides demographic, socio-economic, and utilization trends of Veterans who used at least one VA benefit or service each year between FY 2008 and FY 2017. It also includes a comparison of Veterans who used VA benefits to Veterans who did not use VA benefits.

Does the VA have a comprehensive medical package?

Today’s Veterans have a comprehensive medical benefits package, which VA administers through an annual patient enrollment system. The enrollment system is based on priority groups to ensure health care benefits are readily available to all enrolled Veterans. Learn more »

What is the most common drug used by veterans?

Illicit drug use among veterans is roughly equivalent to their civilian counterparts (4% in the past month reporting use of any illicit drug).18Marijuana accounts for the vast majority of illicit drug use among veterans (3.5% report marijuana use, 1.7% report use of illicit drugs other than marijuana in a 1-month period).18From 2002 to 2009, cannabis use disorders increased >50% among veterans in the VA health care system.32Finally, data suggest that veterans are more likely to be smokers, and age-adjusted prevalence of smoking is higher among veterans than matched civilian groups (27% vs 21%).33Of concern for medical outcomes, more veterans than civilians with coronary heart disease are smokers.33Furthermore, cigarette smoking accounts for 23% of cancer-related deaths among veterans who are former smokers, and 50% of cancer-related deaths among current smokers.34

What are some good groups for veterans with SUDs?

The sections below focus on psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies typically utilized to treat SUDs among veterans. In addition to these behavioral and pharmacological interventions reviewed below, however, veterans with SUDs are encouraged to try self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), which are free of charge and available in most cities. Participation in AA/NA can be particularly helpful as part of “aftercare” and ongoing engagement with services to help manage SUDs. Providers are encouraged to consult the recently updated VA/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines for SUDs for more detailed treatment recommendations.81

How to reduce SUDs among veterans?

There are a number of services and interventions available to help reduce SUDs among veterans. These include both behavioral and pharmacological treatments, and range on a spectrum from preventive screening to residential treatment programs. SUD treatment services are available to veterans connected with VA Medical Centers (VAMC) across the country. However, many veterans are not connected with a local VAMC and even when they are, access to care can be challenging. This is especially true for rural veterans who may not have a qualified provider in the area (see “Treatment challenges” section for more discussion on these issues).35

What are the effects of SUDs on veterans?

SUDs are associated with substantial negative correlates, including medical problems, other psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression and anxiety), interpersonal and vocational impairment, and increased rates of suicidal ideation and attempts. 2,4One study of military personnel found that ~30% of completed suicides were preceded by alcohol or drug use, and an estimated 20% of high-risk behavior deaths were attributed to alcohol or drug overdose.5,6Given the deleterious associations with SUDs, greater attention to the identification of effective, evidence-based treatment is critically needed. In this paper, we review the prevalence of SUDs among veterans as well as options for treatment. Articles selected for inclusion in this overview were chosen following an extensive literature search in PubMed using relevant key words (e.g., military substance use disorders, veteran substance use disorders, and veteran addiction). Preference for inclusion was given to articles published in the past 10 years.

What are the problems with female veterans?

Female veterans may find it difficult to disclose substance use to providers due to perceived stigma and shame associated with being a female substance user. 60Additionally, female veterans with SUDs have higher rates of childhood sexual abuse, military sexual trauma, and domestic violence than female veterans without SUDs, and women with PTSD are particularly at risk of developing substance-related problems.61,62SUD treatments are often provided in groups made up primarily of male veterans.62Understandably, female veterans may feel uncomfortable discussing traumatic experiences in a male-dominated treatment setting . Female veterans may also be more likely to have childcare needs that may interfere with treatment utilization and engagement.63It is important for providers to remain conscious of women’s minority status within the military and the VA and to handle hesitancy to disclose with compassion and sensitivity. Female veterans are likely to benefit from specialized SUD treatment and gender-tailored treatment, which may increase treatment utilization, attendance, and comfort.61Female veterans receiving care at VAMCs offering specialized services for women were more likely to engage in treatment and were more receptive to SUD treatment when gender-specific care options were accessible.64,65

What is SBIRT in VA?

In response to high rates of alcohol use among veterans, the VA has implemented system-wide alcohol screening. The goal of Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is to intervene upon risky and unhealthy drinking habits prior to progression to an alcohol use disorder, or to provide immediate treatment to those with alcohol use disorders.24According to the VA/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines for SUDs, if treatment or further evaluation is indicated and acceptable to a patient after receiving a brief intervention, the patient should be offered a specialty referral or management in primary care. The guidelines state that if there is “an indication for and a willingness to seek treatment” a biopsychosocial assessment should be completed followed by the development and implementation of a comprehensive treatment plan. Following the collaborative development of the treatment plan, SUD-focused pharmacotherapy should be offered, if indicated, for alcohol use disorders and opioid use disorders, and all patients should be offered SUD-focused psychosocial interventions. Evidence-based psychotherapies and behavioral interventions for the management of SUDs typically involve short-term, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions. These interventions focus on the identification and modification of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors associated with increased craving, use, or relapse to substances. In addition, they may help reduce SUDs by helping incentivize individuals to achieve and maintain abstinence (e.g., contingency management therapies), or increase their ability to successfully manage stress without substances. Behavioral interventions can be delivered in person, via telehealth, and/or via the Internet.36–40

Introduction

See more on research.va.gov

Selected Major Accomplishments in VA Research

New, Ongoing, and Published Research

More on Our Website

Selected Scientific Articles by Our Researchers

VA Health Care Utilization by Recent Veterans

Findings

About The Report

Past Reports