The role of symptom reduction in improving health-related quality of life through brief cognitive behavioral therapy.

Brief cognitive behavior therapy (bCBT) is effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders and improving health-related quality of life (HRQoL). However, the mechanisms through which cognitive behavior therapy impact HRQoL are not well understood. This study evaluated whether anxiety and depression symptom reduction is a mechanism of treatment for HRQoL outcomes. METHOD: Using secondary data from a multisite, pragmatic, randomized trial, this study evaluated bCBT vs enhanced usual care in 16 VA community-based outpatient clinics. Ordinary least-squares path analysis testing multiple mediators was used to evaluate the role of change in depression and anxiety symptoms in the relationship between treatment condition and HRQoL. RESULTS: Receiving bCBT (vs. enhanced usual care) was significantly negatively associated with change (reduction) in depression and anxiety scores. The indirect effect of treatment on mental HRQoL was significant with change in depression scores as mediator. A similar pattern was observed for physical HRQoL and change in anxiety scores as mediator. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest reduction of depression and anxiety symptoms as a mechanism through which bCBT for depression promoted improvements in HRQoL, with important implications for understanding how CBT impacts functioning, as well as the utility of bCBT in nontraditional mental health settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02466126.

A protocol for a randomized controlled trial of exposure and response prevention for veterans with obsessive compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is effectively treated with exposure and response prevention (ERP), yet very few veterans receive ERP for OCD within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Veterans are a clinically complex population, and no prior research has evaluated the effectiveness of ERP in veterans with OCD or comorbid OCD and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the limited accessibility of ERP-trained providers within VHA, assessment of video telehealth (VTH) delivery of ERP is warranted. METHODS: A sample of 160 veterans with OCD (80 diagnosed with comorbid PTSD) will be randomly assigned to receive up to 16 sessions of ERP or a stress management training control delivered via VTH. Assessments will occur at baseline, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up. The primary outcome will evaluate the impact of ERP on participants' functioning, and secondary outcomes will include quality of life and OCD symptoms. At posttreatment, qualitative interviews with veterans, clinicians, and administrators will explore barriers and facilitators to treatment delivery, and the implementation potential of ERP. CONCLUSIONS: Results will provide direction for the treatment of OCD and comorbid PTSD in veterans, as well as guidance for future implementation efforts for ERP within VHA. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier:NCT05240924.

The role of depression and anxiety symptom severity in remotely delivered mental health care.

This study examined differences in mental health characteristics of Veterans who received VA Video Connect (VVC) or audio-only care during initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cohort of Veterans with primary diagnoses of depressive or anxiety disorders (diagnosed between March 2019 and February 2020) was identified, and data were obtained for Veterans who engaged in virtual care from April to December 2020. Two groups were created: Veterans receiving audio-only care (n = 161,071) and Veterans receiving two or more VVC visits (n = 84,505). Multiple logistic regression models examined symptom severity in the year before COVID as a predictor of treatment modality during COVID. Chi-square tests examined associations between modality and the number of assessments. Symptom severity as evaluated by the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 significantly predicted modality of encounters during the pandemic such that those who had moderate or severe symptoms prior to COVID-19 were more likely than those with low or no symptoms to have two or more VVC encounters during the pandemic. Of those who received VVC, 55.62% had no Patient Health Questionnaire-9 assessments compared to 68.96% of those who received audio-only. In the VVC group, 70.36% had no Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 assessments compared to 81.02% in the audio-only group. Taken together, these findings suggest that VVC, when compared to audio-only, was used during the pandemic to reach Veterans with more severe mental health symptomatology and to engage in administration of measurement-based care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Identifying Barriers and Facilitators to Veterans Affairs Whole Health Integration Using the Updated Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

BACKGROUND: Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Veteran-centered Whole Health System initiative across VA sites with approaches to implementation varying by site. PURPOSE: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we aimed to synthesize systemic barriers and facilitators to Veteran use with the initiative. Relevance to healthcare quality, systematic comparison of implementation procedures across a national healthcare system provides a comprehensive portrait of strengths and opportunities for improvement. METHODS: Advanced fellows from 11 VA Quality Scholars sites performed the initial data collection, and the final report includes CFIR-organized results from six sites. RESULTS: Key innovation findings included cost, complexity, offerings, and accessibility. Inner setting barriers and facilitators included relational connections and communication, compatibility, structure and resources, learning centeredness, and information and knowledge access. Finally, results regarding individuals included innovation deliverers, implementation leaders and team, and individual capability, opportunity, and motivation to implement and deliver whole health care. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Examination of barriers and facilitators suggest that Whole Health coaches are key components of implementation and help to facilitate communication, relationship building, and knowledge access for Veterans and VA employees. Continuous evaluation and improvement of implementation procedures at each site is also recommended.

Black veteran use of video telehealth for mental health care.

Black veterans experience disparities in mental health (MH) care access and are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Video telehealth to home (VTH) may reduce disparities by addressing barriers, particularly with pandemic-related shifts to remotely delivered care. Considering potential needs for tailored implementation across racial/ethnic groups, we examined differences in VTH use by non-Hispanic Black veterans versus all other races/ethnicities and among Black (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) veterans by age, rurality, and gender during the pandemic. We extracted a cohort of Veterans Health Administration-enrolled veterans receiving at least one MH encounter between October 2019 and September 2020 (n = 1,627,791) from electronic health records. Multilevel linear growth curve models examined the percentage of VTH use for non-Hispanic Black versus other races/ethnicities before and after pandemic onset. Black veteran-only subgroup analyses examined differences by ethnicity in percentage of VTH MH encounters since pandemic onset by age, rurality, and gender, using regression and analysis of covariance models. Despite significant increases in VTH during the pandemic, on average, VTH use was consistently lower for non-Hispanic Black veterans across both periods. During the pandemic, differences in VTH use between non-Hispanic Black and non-Black veterans accelerated over time. VTH use was greater during the pandemic for Black veterans who were Hispanic, younger, urban, and female. Adoption of VTH for MH was low for non-Hispanic Black veterans before COVID-19 and during COVID-19 compared to non-Black groups. Future VTH research and implementation efforts should question why adoption remains low, work to meet cultural needs, and promote equitable adoption for Black veterans. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Rural Veterans with HIV and Alcohol Use Disorder receive less video telehealth than urban Veterans.

PURPOSE: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent among Veterans with HIV. Rural Veterans with HIV are at especially high risk for not receiving appropriate treatment. This retrospective cohort cross-sectional study aimed to investigate patterns of mental health treatment utilization across delivery modality among Veterans diagnosed with HIV and AUD. It was hypothesized that rural Veterans with HIV and AUD would receive a lower rate of mental health treatment delivered via video telehealth than urban Veterans with HIV and AUD. METHODS: A national Veterans Health Association administrative database was used to identify a cohort of Veterans diagnosed with HIV and AUD (N = 2,075). Geocoding was used to categorize rural Veterans (n = 246) and urban Veterans (n = 1,829). Negative binomial regression models tested associations between rurality and mental health treatment delivered via face-to-face, audio-only, and video telehealth modalities. FINDINGS: Results demonstrated that rural Veterans with HIV and AUD received fewer mental health treatment sessions delivered via telehealth than urban Veterans with HIV and AUD (incidence rate ratio = 0.62; 95% confidence intervals [0.44, 0.87]; P < .01). No differences were found in terms of treatment delivered face-to-face or by audio-only. CONCLUSIONS: Rural Veterans with HIV and AUD represent a vulnerable subpopulation of Veterans who may most benefit from video telehealth. Efforts to increase access and improve the uptake of evidence-based mental health treatment delivered via video telehealth are needed.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Video Telehealth Use During Rapid Mental Health Care Virtualization Among American Indian/Alaska Native Veterans.

Importance: American Indian/Alaska Native veterans experience a high risk for health inequities, including mental health (MH) care access. Rapid virtualization of MH care in response to the COVID-19 pandemic facilitated care continuity across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), but the association between virtualization of care and health inequities among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans is unknown. Objective: To examine differences in video telehealth (VTH) use for MH care between American Indian/Alaska Native and non-American Indian/Alaska Native veterans by rurality and urbanicity. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, VHA administrative data on VTH use among a veteran cohort that received MH care from October 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic), and April 1 to December 31, 2020 (early pandemic), were examined. Exposures: At least 1 outpatient MH encounter during the study period. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was use of VTH among all study groups (ie, American Indian/Alaska Native, non-American Indian/Alaska Native, rural, or urban) before and during the early pandemic. American Indian/Alaska Native veteran status and rurality were examined as factors associated with VTH utilization through mixed models. Results: Of 1 754 311 veterans (mean [SD] age, 54.89 [16.23] years; 85.21% male), 0.48% were rural American Indian/Alaska Native; 29.04%, rural non-American Indian/Alaska Native; 0.77%, urban American Indian/Alaska Native; and 69.71%, urban non-American Indian/Alaska Native. Before the pandemic, a lower percentage of urban (b = -0.91; SE, 0.02; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.87; P < .001) and non-American Indian/Alaska Native (b = -0.29; SE, 0.09; 95% CI, -0.47 to -0.11; P < .001) veterans used VTH. During the early pandemic period, a greater percentage of urban (b = 1.37; SE, 0.05; 95% CI, 1.27-1.47; P < .001) and non-American Indian/Alaska Native (b = 0.55; SE, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.18-0.92; P = .003) veterans used VTH. There was a significant interaction between rurality and American Indian/Alaska Native status during the early pandemic (b = -1.49; SE, 0.39; 95% CI, -2.25 to -0.73; P < .001). Urban veterans used VTH more than rural veterans, especially American Indian/Alaska Native veterans (non-American Indian/Alaska Native: rurality b = 1.35 [SE, 0.05; 95% CI, 1.25-1.45; P < .001]; American Indian/Alaska Native: rurality b = 2.91 [SE, 0.38; 95% CI, 2.17-3.65; P < .001]). The mean (SE) increase in VTH was 20.34 (0.38) and 15.35 (0.49) percentage points for American Indian/Alaska Native urban and rural veterans, respectively (difference in differences [DID], 4.99 percentage points; SE, 0.62; 95% CI, 3.77-6.21; t = -7.999; df, 11 000; P < .001), and 12.97 (0.24) and 11.31 (0.44) percentage points for non-American Indian/Alaska Native urban and rural veterans, respectively (DID, 1.66; SE, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.68-2.64; t = -3.32; df, 15 000; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, although rapid virtualization of MH care was associated with greater VTH use in all veteran groups studied, a significant difference in VTH use was seen between rural and urban populations, especially among American Indian/Alaska Native veterans. The findings suggest that American Indian/Alaska Native veterans in rural areas may be at risk for VTH access disparities.

Delivery of Exposure and Response Prevention Among Veterans with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

Veterans with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) often face barriers to receiving evidence-based treatments such as exposure and response prevention (ERP). Through retrospective review of electronic medical records, this study examined the rates of ERP delivery in a national sample of 554 veterans newly diagnosed with OCD in the Veterans Health Administration between 2016 and 2017. Results indicated that only 4% of veterans (n = 22) received any ERP treatment; and, of those, 16 veterans received "true ERP." Veterans who received any ERP were younger than those who did not. ERP was primarily delivered by psychologists in urban facilities along the East and West coasts of the USA. The findings from this study emphasize the need to train more providers to effectively deliver ERP in addition to providing telehealth services to increase access to care for veterans in rural areas.

Feasibility of Group-Based Implementation Facilitation for Video Telemental Health.

Video telehealth experienced rapid growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in many healthcare sectors, including mental health. The Veterans Health Administration's video telehealth platform, VA Video Connect, has been widely used to reach veterans who may have experienced difficulty accessing care, such as those living in rural areas or other barriers (e.g., transportation). Implementing VVC requires a multifaceted approach, including training providers on technical skills, increasing access to equipment for providers and veterans, and integrating VVC within the culture and processes of the clinic unit. Prior successful VVC implementation efforts in rural areas have focused on simultaneous one-on-one provider and leadership engagement using implementation facilitation (IF). However, given the rapid need for VVC expansion in light of limits and dangers associated with in-person care during the pandemic, our team developed group facilitation to increase the reach of VVC implementation through IF. Group facilitation combined training in technical and policy elements of VVC with IF with groups of providers from clinic units. This approach was designed to rapidly disseminate the necessary knowledge to conduct VVC combined with collaborative problem solving as a team to improve the ability of the clinical team to sustain VVC. Attendees were asked for feedback on the session through multiple choice and open-ended questions. Participants (N = 26) reported being highly satisfied with the training and reported a high degree of confidence in their ability to use VVC. Based on evaluation data and interview feedback, providers and clinic leaders were satisfied with group facilitation. Group facilitation may be a helpful tool in rapidly training clinical teams to implement and sustain video telemental health.

Patterns of Telehealth Use for Mental Health Treatment Among Hispanic Veterans.

Background: Video-to-home telehealth (VTH) is promising for increasing access to mental health (MH) services. VA Video Connect (VVC) facilitates video-based teleconferencing between patients and providers and can reduce barriers while maintaining clinical effectiveness. Little is known about the preferences of Hispanic veterans for VTH. Methods: A retrospective cohort investigation of VTH for MH care utilization among veterans having at least one MH visit from October 2019 to September 2020. The veterans consisted of 155,492 Hispanic/Latino and 1,544,958 non-Hispanic/Latino. VVC involved face-to-face synchronous video-based teleconferencing between patients and providers, enabling care at home or another private location. The main measures included the percentage of MH encounters delivered through VVC. Results: Compared with non-Hispanic veterans, Hispanic veterans had 3.28% greater percentage of VVC MH encounters. Furthermore, there was a 2.65% increase per month in percentage of VVC MH encounters. Conclusions: Contrary to preconceived notions, Hispanic veterans access VTH at higher rates than their non-Hispanic counterparts.

Evidence of Phone vs Video-Conferencing for Mental Health Treatments: A Review of the Literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The goal of this paper is to provide a comparative review of using phone (audio-only) or video for mental health treatments. Our review includes evidence of phone and video's effectiveness in terms of reduced symptomology, retention, satisfaction, therapeutic alliance, and other outcomes of interest. This review also discusses how patients and providers' experiences and attitudes differ between these two modalities. Finally, we present information on different usage rates of phone and video across patient populations and mental health provider types, and different implementation strategies. RECENT FINDINGS: Treatments through phone and video are both able to reduce symptoms related to mental health conditions and have both been found to be non-inferior to in-person care. Both phone and video are more convenient to patients. Video offers important visual information that can be important to diagnosing mental health conditions. Phone, however, is more broadly accessible and may come with fewer technological issues. In the context of mental health care, where non-verbal cues are tied to symptomology and diagnosing, and a strong relationship between patient and provider can enhance treatment, we encourage the use of video, especially for psychotherapeutic services. However, as phone is more accessible, we ultimately recommend an accommodating approach, one that flexibly makes use of both phone and video. Future studies on telehealth should focus on direct, head-to-head comparisons between phone and video and conduct more rigorous testing on whether clinical differences exist.

Assessing Change in Participation in Clinical Evaluations of Deployed Veterans with Medically Unexplained Symptoms.

Many deployed veterans experience issues reintegrating into civilian life. Addressing this in a clinical setting can prove challenging; however, assessing participation, defined as involvement in a life situation by the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, may be helpful. The Community Reintegration of Injured Service Members-Computer Adaptive Test (CRIS-CAT) is a measure of participation developed and validated in veteran populations. The War Related and Illness and Injury Study Center, which provides comprehensive evaluations to veterans with medically unexplained deployment-related concerns, used the CRIS-CAT as part of their social work evaluations during these visits and follow-up telephone calls. This retrospective review of clinical data examines the link between participation as assessed by the CRIS-CAT and factors that are mutable (such as relationships with others) and immutable (personal characteristics) as assessed in the social work evaluation over 12 months. The findings indicate that these veteran patients did not experience change in their participation as measured by the CRIS-CAT. Multivariable regression models demonstrated relationships only between change in CRIS-CAT scales and baseline scores and race. Article concludes by discussing lessons learned from this evaluation of the utility of the CRIS-CAT in clinical care and in longitudinal evaluation.

Getting Connected: a Retrospective Cohort Investigation of Video-to-Home Telehealth for Mental Health Care Utilization Among Women Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Increasingly, women are serving in the military and seeking care at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Women veterans face unique challenges and barriers in seeking mental health (MH) care within VHA. VA Video Connect (VVC), which facilitates video-based teleconferencing between patients and providers, can reduce barriers while maintaining clinical effectiveness. OBJECTIVE: Primary aims were to examine gender differences in VVC use, describe changes in VVC use over time (including pre-COVID and 6 months following the beginning of COVID), and determine whether changes over time differed by gender. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort investigation of video-to-home telehealth for MH care utilization among veterans having at least 1 MH visit from October 2019 to September 2020. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans (236,268 women; 1,318,024 men). INTERVENTIONS (IF APPLICABLE): VVC involves face-to-face, synchronous, video-based teleconferencing between patients and providers, enabling care at home or another private location. MAIN MEASURES: Percentage of MH encounters delivered via VA Video Connect. KEY RESULTS: Women veterans were more likely than men to have at least 1 VVC encounter and had a greater percentage of MH care delivered via VVC in FY20. There was an increase in the percentage of MH encounters that were VVC over FY20, and this increase was greater for women than men. Women veterans who were younger than 55 (compared to those 55 and older), lived in urban areas (compared to those in rural areas), or were Asian (compared to other races) had a greater percentage of MH encounters that were VVC since the start of the pandemic, controlling for the mean percentage of VVC MH encounters in the 6 months pre-pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: VVC use for MH care is greater in women veterans compared to male veterans and may reduce gender-specific access barriers. Future research and VVC implementation efforts should emphasize maximizing patient choice and satisfaction.

Differential Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Tele-mental Health Among Veterans Living in Urban or Rural Areas.

OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the use of Veterans Affairs Video Connect (VVC) for mental health care by rural and urban veterans and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patterns of VVC use. METHODS: Data from 557,668 rural and 1,384,093 urban veterans (collected July 2019-October 2020) from the Veterans Health Administration Corporate Data Warehouse were examined with interrupted time-series models to determine rural versus urban VVC use before and during the initial 7 months of the pandemic. RESULTS: Before COVID-19, rates of VVC use as percentages of all mental health care were higher among rural veterans. After implementation of pandemic restrictions, rural veteran VVC use continued to increase, but this increase was surpassed by that of urban veterans. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need to monitor emerging disparities in telehealth use and to encourage and support use of VVC and access to mental health care for all veterans, particularly those experiencing barriers to care.

A pilot open trial of video telehealth-delivered exposure and response prevention for obsessive-compulsive disorder in rural Veterans.

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard, evidence-based psychotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but few receive it. Video telehealth can increase access to ERP for OCD and may enhance the salience of exposures. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of video telehealth-delivered ERP. We conducted a pilot open trial with 11 Veterans, using mixed quantitative and qualitative methods. Treatment completers (n = 9) had significantly reduced OCD and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms posttreatment. Patients expressed greater comfort in engaging in ERP at home than in clinics. Therapists reported that seeing patients' home environments helped them understand their symptoms and identify relevant OCD exposures. Results suggest that video telehealth-delivered ERP is feasible and acceptable to patients and therapists and promising for reducing OCD symptoms. Future research should compare its effectiveness to usual care and evaluate patients' preferences for treatment delivery. Abbreviations: ERP: exposure and response prevention; GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale; OCD: obsessive-compulsive disorder; OCI-R: Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Revised; PCL-5: PTSD Checklist; PHQ-9: Patient Health Questionnaire; PTSD: posttraumatic stress disorder; VA: epartment of Veterans Affairs; Y-BOCS: Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, self report form.

A randomized controlled trial comparing a manual and computer version of CALM in VA community-based outpatient clinics.

BACKGROUND: This study compared a computer and manual version of a tailored Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (VA CALM) protocol on provider fidelity to CBT and patient outcomes. METHODS: This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. Providers (N = 32) were randomized to deliver VA CALM by computer or manual. Veteran patients (N = 135), treated by study providers, were recruited. The primary outcome was CBT fidelity, measured by rating audiotaped sessions. Secondary outcomes were Veterans' general (BSI-18 GSI, SF-12) and disorder-specific (GAD-7, PCL-5, PHQ-9) outcomes assessed at baseline, three and six month follow-up. RESULTS: We found a large (d = 0.88) but not statistically significant difference in mean fidelity rating scores between conditions. Compared with the manual, participants with generalized anxiety disorder receiving VA CALM by computer reported lower GAD-7 scores at three (-5.88; 95% CI=-11.37, -0.39) and six month (-5.25; 95% CI=-10.29, -0.22) follow-ups (d = 0.37 to 0.55). Participants in the computer and manual conditions reported lower PHQ-9 (-3.11; 95% CI=-5.51, -0.71; -4.06; 95% CI=-7.22, -0.90, respectively) and BSI-18 GSI (0.78; 95% CI=0.68,0.90; 0.71; 95% CI=0.58, 0.87, respectively) scores from baseline to six month follow-up. We did not find statistically significant differences over time or between conditions on SF-12 or PCL-5 scores. LIMITATIONS: This study was underpowered to test the primary outcome. Small samples sizes in the disorder-specific subgroup analysis may limit the generalizability of findings. CONCLUSIONS: Neither modality proved to be superior on VA CALM fidelity. The computer version of VA CALM, compared to the manual, may provide modest benefit to Veterans with GAD.

Brief Motivation-Based Interventions for Students Sanctioned for Violating Campus Cannabis Use Policies.

College cannabis use continues to rise, yet few students voluntarily seek treatment for cannabis use, despite use-related problems. Thus, the campus judicial system may be one way to identify high-risk cannabis users and intervene with them. Despite research indicating that brief motivational interventions (BMIs) decrease risky alcohol use among students sanctioned for psychological services following campus alcohol policies violations, extant data do not support BMI for students who violate cannabis polices. Thus, the aims of this review paper are to (a) review the extant literature of BMI for cannabis use among sanctioned students, (b) discuss some unique issues concerning BMI for cannabis use, and (c) provide case examples of promising novel ways BMI may be used to address unique needs of these students. Given the wide range of cannabis use and related problems experienced by these students, personalized approaches to BMI-based interventions may improve outcomes for these students.

Cannabis use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder: The prevalence of comorbidity in veterans of recent conflicts.

AIMS: Veterans have high rates of cannabis use, and rates of cannabis use disorder (CUD) are rising among this population. These rising rates are particularly true for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is common among veterans of recent conflicts, Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND). Although prior work has documented links between PTSD and cannabis use, a better understanding of the intersection among CUD, PTSD, and other disorders in real-world clinical practice can inform prevention and treatment efforts. This study examined the prevalence and comorbidities of CUD and PTSD in OFE/OIF/OND veterans. METHOD: The study analyzed data from the Veterans Affairs Corporate Data Warehouse (2010-2016) for returning war veterans who were diagnosed with CUD (N = 46,268). The study determined prevalence of PTSD, and examined additional differences in comorbidities. RESULTS: The prevalence of a comorbid PTSD diagnosis among OEF/OIF/OND veterans with a CUD diagnosis was 72.3%. Further analysis revealed additional co-occurring disorders. Veterans with a diagnosis of CUD and PTSD were more likely to have a comorbid diagnosis of depression (odds ratio, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.62-1.71), panic disorder (odds ratio; 1.58; 95% CI, 1.43-1.75), alcohol use disorder (odds ratio; 1.30; 95% CI, 1.24-1.35), opioid use disorder (odds ratio; 1.52; 95% CI, 1.43-1.62), and insomnia (odds ratio; 1.74; 95% CI, 1.65-1.84) than veterans without a PTSD diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight that the majority of returning war veterans with CUD are highly complex. Our findings substantiate the need for urgent, comprehensive care for veterans with co-occurring CUD and PTSD, including integrated and transdiagnostic treatment approaches.