Returning vets with ptsd/tbi: Improving identification and providing care

Epidemiological research conducted over the past two years shows that as many as 40% of vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will experience mental health or substance use conditions, and that at least half of these will have post traumatic stress disorder (ptsd) and/or traumatic brain injury (tbi). Other recent research shows that tbi is a very strong predictor of ptsd. Hence, an urgent need exists to develop effective screening tools for these disorders and to embed these tools in effective care-delivery systems. This presentation will describe some new screening tools for ptsd and tbi that have recently been developed, and will demonstrate the full range of contexts in which the tools can be applied by the U.S. Departments of Defense and VA. The presentation will also describe the range of care delivery systems that will be needed to provide appropriate care for ptsd and tbi--ranging from virtual clinics, to telephonic care, to traditional interpersonal care. All of this work has considerable implications for mental health and health services researchers and practitioners who are interested in the health conditions of returning vets, as well as for national health and health care reform efforts.