Psychiatric services : a journal of the American Psychiatric Association
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This study described utilization of specialty treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), in Afghanistan, or of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), in Iraq, and non-OEF-OIF veterans recently diagnosed as having PTSD. It also identified predictors of receiving minimally adequate specialty treatment, defined as attending at least nine clinic visits within 365 days of screening positive for PTSD. ⋯ Most veterans with new PTSD diagnoses who initiated VA PTSD specialty care did not receive minimally adequate specialty treatment. Future studies should examine factors that lead to premature discontinuation of PTSD treatment and to what extent specialty treatment for PTSD is necessary.
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This study examined connections to outpatient mental health care before and between an initial and subsequent pediatric psychiatric emergency department visit. ⋯ Continued use of the emergency department despite a connection with outpatient mental health care raises questions about the views of families and providers about the need for emergency services. More research is needed to better understand patterns of care seeking in order to fully inform policy and program development.
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Nursing home residents with serious mental illness need a high level of general medical and end-of-life services. This study tested whether persons with serious mental illness are as likely as other nursing home residents to make informed choices about treatments through medical advance care plans. ⋯ Among U.S. nursing home residents, those with serious mental illness were less likely than others to have written medical advance directives. Future research is needed to help understand both resident factors (such as inappropriate behaviors, impaired communication skills, and disrupted family support) and provider factors (including training, experience, and attitude) that underlie this finding.
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Most veterans who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care are not employed. This study evaluated the association between mental disorders and labor force status among VA health care users. ⋯ This study confirmed a negative relationship between having a mental disorder and being employed. Future studies of barriers associated with veterans' employment could help policy makers target mental health treatments and supportive employment services to the unique needs of veterans.