VA Mental Health: Action Needed to Improve Access Policies and Wait-Time Data

Abstract

I am pleased to be here to discuss our report that is being released today on veterans access to VA mental health care, the latest review from our extensive work in recent years on veterans access to care. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has seen a 63 percent increase in the number of veterans receiving mental health care between 2005 and 2013. VHA reported a significant portion of this increase was due to an influx of veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to its proactive screening to identify veterans with symptoms that may be associated with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse disorder, or who may have experienced military sexual trauma. In fiscal year 2014, VHA spent more than $3.9 billion providing outpatient specialty mental health care in its facilities, and more than $34 million for outpatient specialty mental health care provided by non-VA providers.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 28, 2015
Accession Number
AD1105989

Entities

People

  • Debra A. Draper
  • Eagan Kemp
  • Jacquelyn Hamilton
  • Jennie F. Apter
  • Lori Achman
  • Malissa G. Winograd
  • Vikki L. Porter

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Department Of Veterans Affairs
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Employment
  • Governments
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Health Services
  • Medical Personnel
  • Mental Health
  • Mental Health Services
  • Standards
  • Therapy
  • Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Veterans Health

Fields of Study

  • Medicine
  • Psychology

Readers

  • Medical or Health Care Field.
  • Psychological Intervention/Treatment for Stress, Anxiety, PTSD, and Related Emotional and Cognitive Health Symptoms.