Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans with Reintegration Problems: Differences by Veterans Affairs Healthcare User Status

Nina A. Sayer, Robert J. Orazem, Siamak Noorbaloochi, Amy A Gravely, Patricia Frazier, Kathleen F. Carlson, Paula P. Schnurr, Heather Oleson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Scopus citations

Abstract

We studied 1,292 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who participated in a clinical trial of expressive writing to estimate the prevalence of perceived reintegration difficulty and compare Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare users to nonusers in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. About half of participants perceived reintegration difficulty. VA users and nonusers differed in age and military background. Levels of mental and physical problems were higher in VA users. In multivariate analysis, military service variables and probable traumatic brain injury independently predicted VA use. Findings demonstrate the importance of research comparing VA users to nonusers to understand veteran healthcare needs.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)493-503
Number of pages11
JournalAdministration and Policy in Mental Health
Volume42
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 1 2015

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