Linking Returning Veterans in Rural Community Colleges to Mental Health Care
Abstract
This study is collecting survey data and rich qualitative information on student veterans' mental health, help-seeking behavior, and attitudes regarding mental health treatment. Ultimately, this survey and qualitative data will inform the development of a new screening and linkage-to-care intervention that is feasible in the community college setting and acceptable to this student veteran population and their families. The survey portion of the study is completed and we are conducting preliminary analyses. Qualitative interviews are ongoing, and the focus group portion of the study is scheduled to begin next quarter. Preliminary analyses from the survey indicate that psychiatric distress is prevalent in this sample of veterans: 32% depression, 23% generalized anxiety, 25% PTSD, 61% with any mental health disorder. Compared to a civilian sample from the same schools, the veterans have a significantly higher prevalence of mental health disorders in all categories except generalized anxiety. The rates being reported for positive screenings are high, thereby demonstrating a need for increased recognition and intervention in the population. The Veterans in the in-depth interviews are recommending linkage and or service interventions that are acceptable to them, many of which are consistent with current interventions by the VA, while others are completely novel. In the next year we will be exploring these intervention ideas further, fleshing them out, and creating future intervention plans in partnership with student Veterans and representatives from these community colleges.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA576358
Entities
People
- Geoffrey M. Curran
Organizations
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences