Mental Health and Help-Seeking of Returning Veterans in Rural Community Colleges

描述（由申请人提供）：从阿富汗持久自由行动和伊拉克自由行动（OEF/OIF）返回的5名士兵中约有1人报告了与PTSD或抑郁症一致的症状和行为。至关重要的是，将这些有精神健康问题的“持久自由行动”/“伊拉克自由行动”退伍军人与护理联系起来，以促进他们成功地重新融入有生产力的平民生活。很大一部分OEF/OIF退伍军人正在使用GI教育福利参加两年制社区大学。社区学院的设置提供了一个独特的机会，既调查和解决我们的退伍军人中最重要的公共卫生问题之一;然而，一个强大的研究证据基础是首先需要大学和我们的社会更普遍地抓住这个机会。拟议的研究是充分实现这一机会的第一步。在设计一种干预措施，将社区大学的退伍军人学生与适当的服务联系起来之前，关键是要更好地了解他们的心理健康需求和寻求帮助的行为，目前对此几乎一无所知。为了了解退伍军人学生是否需要独特的干预，研究人员的目标是了解他们与社区大学生的一般人群有何不同。这些初步的分析是必要的，然后再向前发展的一个新的筛选和联动干预，这将是可行的，在社区学院的设置和接受这个学生退伍军人群体和他们的家庭。使用来自阿肯色州8所公立社区大学的样本（N=1,000，包括500名退伍军人），研究人员将进行一项基于网络的调查，以收集和分析数据，以解决以下具体目标：1）估计抑郁症，创伤后应激障碍，TBI，药物滥用和自杀意念的患病率在学生退伍军人人群中，并将其与社区大学更广泛的学生群体进行比较。2)估计学生退伍军人群体中寻求帮助的流行程度，并将其与社区学院更广泛的学生群体进行比较。3)找出退伍军人学生寻求帮助的最突出障碍。研究人员议程的长期目标是为参加这些服务不足的社区大学的OEF/OIF退伍军人制定一项筛查和联系干预措施。将有心理健康问题的学生退伍军人与优质护理联系起来，对他们在新的退伍军人法案上的教育成功以及他们成功地重新融入平民生活至关重要。 公共卫生相关性：至关重要的是，将返回的“持久自由行动”/“伊拉克自由行动”退伍军人与有心理健康问题的人联系起来，以促进他们成功地重新融入有生产力的平民生活。这些退伍军人中的许多人正在参加社区大学使用新增强的GI法案的好处;因此，这种教育环境提供了一个独特的机会，既调查和解决我们的退伍军人中最重要的公共卫生问题之一。然而，一个强大的研究证据基础是首先需要大学和我们的社会更普遍地抓住这个机会，拟议的研究是实现这一目标的第一步。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Approximately 1 out of 5 soldiers returning from Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) reported symptoms and behaviors consistent with PTSD or depression. It is critical to link these OEF/OIF veterans with mental health problems to care in order to promote successful re- integration into a productive, civilian life. A large percentage of OEF/OIF veterans are using GI educational benefits to attend two-year community colleges. The community college setting offers a unique opportunity to both investigate and address one of the most significant public health problems among our returning veterans; however, a robust base of research evidence is first necessary for colleges and our society more generally to seize this opportunity. The proposed study is a first step toward fully realizing this opportunity. Before designing an intervention to link student veterans in community colleges with appropriate services, it is critical to develop an improved understanding of their mental health needs and help-seeking behaviors, about which virtually nothing is currently known. To know if a unique intervention is needed for student veterans, the researchers aim to understand how they differ from the general population of community college students. These initial analyses are required before moving forward with the development of a new screening and linkage intervention that will be both feasible in the community college setting and acceptable to this student veteran population and their families. Using a sample from 8 public community colleges in Arkansas (N=1,000, including 500 veterans), the researchers will field a web-based survey to collect and analyze data to address the following specific aims: 1) Estimate the prevalence of depression, PTSD, TBI, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation among the student veteran population and compare it to the broader student population of community colleges. 2) Estimate the prevalence of help-seeking among the student veteran population and compare it to the broader student population of community colleges. 3) Identify the most salient barriers to help-seeking among student veterans. The long term goal of the researchers' agenda is to develop a screening and linkage intervention for OEF/OIF veterans attending these underserved community colleges. Linking student veterans with mental health problems to quality care is critical to their educational success on the new GI bill and their successful re- integration into civilian life. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: It is critical to link returning OEF/OIF veterans with mental health problems to care in order to promote successful re-integration into a productive, civilian life. Many of these veterans are attending community colleges using the newly enhanced GI Bill benefits; therefore, this educational setting offers a unique opportunity to both investigate and address one of the most significant public health problems among our returning veterans. However, a robust base of research evidence is first necessary for colleges and our society more generally to seize this opportunity-the proposed research is the initial step toward achieving this goal.