4 things to know about women veterans’ mental health care

New clinical research related to mental health among women veterans highlights a need for improved access to care and health services for this patient population.

Recently, Healio.com/Psychiatry reported on four articles about depression, substance use disorders, sex differences and access to care for women veterans, from the April issue of Medical Care. Click the links below to read each journal article summary:

Women veterans with depression five times more likely to be unemployed

Women veterans with depression were almost five times more likely to be unemployed compared with veterans who tested negative for depression.

“Unemployment was prevalent in this national sample of women veterans,” the researchers wrote. “Shortly after the National Survey of Women Veterans was completed, in January of 2010, the unemployment rate among women veterans was 11.2% vs. 9.4% for male veterans and 8.3% for civilian women.” Read more.

Women say access to VA mental health care ‘very good’ in survey

The Women’s Overall Mental Health Assessment of Needs (WOMAN) Survey was completed by telephone, encompassing 145 items to determine women veterans’ mental health symptoms and conditions.

For this study, researchers included data from 6,287 women veterans using VA primary care services. Information regarding perceived need for mental health care, mental health utilization, and gender-related mental health care experiences was analyzed for the study. Read more.

Mental health disorders more likely among women veterans vs. men in criminal justice system

Almost 90% of women veterans involved with the criminal justice system have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder, and more than half with a substance use disorder.

Andrea K. Finlay, PhD, of the Center for Innovation to Implementation, Substance Use Disorder Quality Research Enhancement Initiative at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in Menlo Park, Calif., and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using clinical and administrative data from 1,535 female veterans and 30,478 male veterans treated by Veterans Justice Outreach Specialists from 2010 to 2012. Read more.

Data reveal high rates of sex-specific mental health needs among women veterans

Sex-specific mental health needs are evident among women veterans seeking psychiatric care in VA clinics.

The pilot study included women veterans (n = 68; mean age, 41 years) who underwent psychiatric evaluations within a VA Women’s Health Clinic over a 5-month period. Read more.