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Abstract
Abstract. Objective: To compare mental health symptoms and service utilization among returning student and nonstudent service members/veterans (SM/Vs). Participants: SM/Vs (N = 1,439) were predominately white (83%) men (92%), half were over age 30 (48%), and 24% were students. Methods: SM/Vs completed surveys 6 months post deployment (October 2011–July 2013). Results: Students and nonstudent SM/Vs did not differ in positive screens for depression, anxiety, hazardous drinking, or posttraumatic stress disorder. Students (n = 81) and nonstudents (n = 265) with mental health symptoms had low levels of mental health service use (eg, Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], civilian, or military facilities), at 47% and 57%. respectively. Fewer students used VA mental health services. Common barriers to treatment seeking included not wanting treatment on military records and embarrassment. Conclusions: Like other returning SM/Vs, student SM/Vs have unmet mental health needs. The discrepancy between potential need and treatment seeking suggests that colleges might be helpful in further facilitating mental health service use for student SM/Vs.
FUNDING
This study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Health Services Research and Development Service, SDP 10-047 (PI: Dr. Marcia Valenstein). Dr. Bonar was supported by a career development grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (#036008) during her work on this study. Dr. Bohnert was supported by a VA Health Services Research and Development Service Grant, CDA 11-245.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE
The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System Human Subjects Committee.
NOTE
For comments and further information, address correspondence to Erin E. Bonar, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 2800 Plymouth Road, Building 16, Floor 2, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA (e-mail: [email protected]).