Readjustment of Urban Veterans: A Mental Health and Substance Use Profile of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans in Higher Education

Abstract

Objective: To identify the prevalence of substance use and mental health problems among veterans and student service members/veterans (SSM/V) returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to New York City's low-income neighborhoods. Participants: A sample of 122 veterans attending college and 116 veterans not enrolled recruited using respondent-driven sampling. Methods: Logistic regression analysis of variation in characteristics of those veterans attending college; linear regression examining effects of college attendance on life satisfaction. Results: Having a traumatic brain injury or disability was positively associated with college attendance. Being married, employed, or in college was predictive of overall life satisfaction. SSM/V were significantly less likely to screen positive for depression or drug use disorder. African American veterans were significantly less likely to attend college than white or Hispanic veterans. Conclusion: Substance use and some mental health disorders do not preclude inner-city veterans from entering higher education. This study contributes to the sparse literature on African American veterans and SSM/V.

Keywords:

• alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use
• mental health
• posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• veterans

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful to the project interviewers—Gary Huggins (US Marines, retired), Atiba Marson-Quinones (US Navy Reserves), and Morgan Cooley (US Army, retired)—to the data manager, Dr Peter Vazan, and to all of the veterans who participated in the study.

FUNDING

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01 AA020178). Points of view expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Government, National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.

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 National Development and Research Institutes, Inc., Institutional Review Board.

NOTE

For comments and further information, address correspondence to Ross D. Aikins, PhD, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA (e-mail: [email protected]).