Behavioral Health Provider Burnout and Mental Health Care in the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Although many studies assess predictors of provider burnout, few analyses provide high-quality, consistent evidence on the impact of provider burnout on patient outcomes exist, particularly among behavioral health providers (BHPs). OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of burnout among psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers on access-related quality measures in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). DESIGN: This study used burnout in VA All Employee Survey (AES) and Mental Health Provider Survey (MHPS) data to predict metrics assessed by the Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning Value, Mental Health Domain (MH-SAIL), VHA's quality monitoring system. The study used prior year (2014-2018) facility-level burnout proportion among BHPs to predict subsequent year (2015-2019) facility-level MH-SAIL domain scores. Analyses used multiple regression models, adjusting for facility characteristics, including BHP staffing and productivity. PARTICIPANTS: Psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers who responded to the AES and MHPS at 127 VHA facilities. MAIN MEASURES: Four compositive outcomes included two objective measures (population coverage, continuity of care), one subjective measure (experience of care), and one composite measure of the former three measures (mental health domain quality). KEY RESULTS: Adjusted analyses showed prior year burnout generally had no impact on population coverage, continuity of care, and patient experiences of care but had a negative impact on provider experiences of care consistently across 5 years (p < 0.001). Pooled across years, a 5% higher facility-level burnout in AES and MHPS had a 0.05 and 0.09 standard deviation worse facility experiences of care from the prior year, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Burnout had a significant negative impact on provider-reported experiential outcome measures. This analysis showed that burnout had a negative effect on subjective but not on objective quality measures of Veteran access to care, which could inform future policies and interventions regarding provider burnout.

Implementing Peer Specialists in Suicide Prevention Efforts in the Veterans Health Administration.

OBJECTIVE: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) recognizes peer support as an underused intervention in suicide prevention. PREVAIL is a peer-based suicide prevention intervention that was designed and piloted with non-veteran patients recently hospitalized for suicidal thoughts or behaviors. The purpose of this study was to elicit veteran and stakeholder feedback to inform the adaptation of PREVAIL for piloting with veterans flagged for high suicide risk. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with multiple stakeholders from a VHA medical center in the northeast. Interviews focused on the perceived benefits and concerns of peer specialists directly addressing suicide risk with veterans. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis. RESULTS: Interviewees included clinical directors (n = 3), suicide prevention coordinators (n = 1), outpatient psychologists (n = 2), peer specialists (n = 1), and high-risk veterans (n = 2). Overall, peer specialists were viewed as possessing many distinct strengths in engaging and helping high-risk veterans as part of a team approach. Concerns included liability, adequate training, clinical supervision and support, and self-care for peer specialists. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicated support and confidence that peer support specialists would be a valuable addition and could help fill existing gap in VHA's suicide prevention efforts.

Clinical Predictors of Engagement in Teleintegrated Care and Telereferral Care for Complex Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Care: a Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Telepsychiatry Collaborative Care (TCC) and Telepsychiatry/Telepsychology Enhanced Referral (TER) expand the reach of specialty mental health services to underserved populations. OBJECTIVE: Assess clinical predictors of treatment engagement for complex psychiatric conditions in TCC-in which remote specialists consult with primary care teams via an onsite care manager who also provides brief psychotherapy-and TER, in which remote specialists provide direct telehealth treatment. DESIGN: A randomized pragmatic trial from twenty-four primary care clinics without onsite psychiatrists or psychologists. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1,004 adult patients screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)and/or bipolar disorder were randomized to receive TCC or TER for 1 year. MAIN MEASURES: Psychotherapy engagement was measured by the number of sessions completed, and pharmacotherapy engagement by the medication adherence item from the Schizophrenia Care and Assessment Program Health Questionnaire (SCAP-HQ). KEY RESULTS: Engagement in TCC psychotherapy visits was greater compared to TER. There was no association between the PTSD symptom severity and treatment engagement. The internal state scale (ISS) activation subscale, an indicator of mania, was associated with reduced odds of initiating psychotherapy (odds ratio [OR] = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.59 to 0.84) but not the number of sessions attended once psychotherapy started. The Drug Abuse Screening Test-10(DAST-10) score was associated with receipt of fewer psychotherapy sessions (incidence ratio rate [IRR] = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.95). The number of physical health comorbidities was associated with greater engagement in psychotherapy (IRR = 1.11, 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.19) and pharmacotherapy (OR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.87). None of the findings varied by intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: Both teleintegrated and telereferral care offer an opportunity to treat patients with complex psychiatric conditions. While there was no difference in clinical characteristics predicting engagement, onsite care managers engaged patients in more psychotherapy sessions than remote therapists. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02738944.

Effect of Pharmacogenomic Testing for Drug-Gene Interactions on Medication Selection and Remission of Symptoms in Major Depressive Disorder: The PRIME Care Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Selecting effective antidepressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) is an imprecise practice, with remission rates of about 30% at the initial treatment. Objective: To determine whether pharmacogenomic testing affects antidepressant medication selection and whether such testing leads to better clinical outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: A pragmatic, randomized clinical trial that compared treatment guided by pharmacogenomic testing vs usual care. Participants included 676 clinicians and 1944 patients. Participants were enrolled from 22 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers from July 2017 through February 2021, with follow-up ending November 2021. Eligible patients were those with MDD who were initiating or switching treatment with a single antidepressant. Exclusion criteria included an active substance use disorder, mania, psychosis, or concurrent treatment with a specified list of medications. Interventions: Results from a commercial pharmacogenomic test were given to clinicians in the pharmacogenomic-guided group (n = 966). The comparison group received usual care and access to pharmacogenomic results after 24 weeks (n = 978). Main Outcomes and Measures: The co-primary outcomes were the proportion of prescriptions with a predicted drug-gene interaction written in the 30 days after randomization and remission of depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) (remission was defined as PHQ-9 ≤ 5). Remission was analyzed as a repeated measure across 24 weeks by blinded raters. Results: Among 1944 patients who were randomized (mean age, 48 years; 491 women [25%]), 1541 (79%) completed the 24-week assessment. The estimated risks for receiving an antidepressant with none, moderate, and substantial drug-gene interactions for the pharmacogenomic-guided group were 59.3%, 30.0%, and 10.7% compared with 25.7%, 54.6%, and 19.7% in the usual care group. The pharmacogenomic-guided group was more likely to receive a medication with a lower potential drug-gene interaction for no drug-gene vs moderate/substantial interaction (odds ratio [OR], 4.32 [95% CI, 3.47 to 5.39]; P < .001) and no/moderate vs substantial interaction (OR, 2.08 [95% CI, 1.52 to 2.84]; P = .005) (P < .001 for overall comparison). Remission rates over 24 weeks were higher among patients whose care was guided by pharmacogenomic testing than those in usual care (OR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.57]; P = .02; risk difference, 2.8% [95% CI, 0.6% to 5.1%]) but were not significantly higher at week 24 when 130 patients in the pharmacogenomic-guided group and 126 patients in the usual care group were in remission (estimated risk difference, 1.5% [95% CI, -2.4% to 5.3%]; P = .45). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with MDD, provision of pharmacogenomic testing for drug-gene interactions reduced prescription of medications with predicted drug-gene interactions compared with usual care. Provision of test results had small nonpersistent effects on symptom remission. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03170362.

Peer-based interventions targeting suicide prevention: A scoping review.

Peers of individuals at risk for suicide may be able to play important roles in suicide prevention. The aim of the current study is to conduct a scoping review to characterize the breadth of peer-delivered suicide prevention services and their outcomes to inform future service delivery and research. Articles were selected based on search terms related to peers, suicide, or crisis. After reviews of identified abstracts (N = 2681), selected full-text articles (N = 286), and additional references (N = 62), a total of 84 articles were retained for the final review sample. Types of suicide prevention services delivered by peers included being a gatekeeper, on-demand crisis support, crisis support in acute care settings, and crisis or relapse prevention. Peer relationships employed in suicide prevention services included fellow laypersons; members of the same sociodemographic subgroup (e.g., racial minority), workplace, or institution (e.g., university, correctional facility); and the shared experience of having a mental condition. The majority of published studies were program descriptions or uncontrolled trials, with only three of 84 articles qualifying as randomized controlled trials. Despite a lack of methodological rigor in identified studies, peer support interventions for suicide prevention have been implemented utilizing a diverse range of peer provider types and functions. New and existing peer-delivered suicide prevention services should incorporate more rigorous evaluation methods regarding acceptability and effectiveness.

Developing and testing Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) to encourage help-seeking in adults receiving inpatient treatment for a suicidal crisis.

Military Veterans are at overall greater risk of suicide than non-Veterans and have experienced increases in rates of suicide that are on par with or exceed those of the general population. The Department of Veterans Affairs has undertaken several initiatives to reduce suicide among Veterans, including the development and expansion of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The VCL has the potential to reduce suicidal behaviors, but it is likely underutilized by high-risk Veterans. This paper describes the development of Crisis Line Facilitation (CLF) a brief intervention, designed to increase use of the VCL in this high-risk population. In a single session, CLF presents psychoeducational information about the VCL, discusses the participant's perceived barriers and facilitators to future use of the VCL, and culminates in the Veteran calling the VCL with the therapist to provide firsthand experiences that may counter negative impressions of the line. The intervention development process, intervention and control condition, and self-reported change indices are presented. Preliminary results (N = 301) suggest Veterans receiving CLF may experience a significant increase in comfort with, and confidence in, using the VCL during future crises compared to those in the control condition.

The Prevalence and Incidence of Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Veterans Health Administration From 2009 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and incidence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have increased substantially among children and adolescents over the past decade; however, little is known regarding trends in adult populations. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore trends in the prevalence, incidence, and correlates of adult ADHD in a national sample of veterans receiving care at Veteran Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics. RESEARCH DESIGN: A retrospective design was used to examine ADHD diagnosed in all VA primary care (PC) and mental health clinics (MHCs) from fiscal years (FYs) 2009 to 2016. Age-adjusted prevalence and incidence were calculated using direct standardization, and Poisson regressions modeled differences in trends between demographic groups. SUBJECTS: All veterans with VA PC or MHC visits during the observation period. MEASURES: ADHD incidence and prevalence, psychiatric comorbidity, neuropsychological evaluation. RESULTS: An annual average of 5.09 million (range: 4.63-5.42 million) VA patients attended a PC or MHC appointment between FY09 and FY16. During this period, age-adjusted annual prevalence increased 258% from 0.23% to 0.84% and incidence increased 240% from 0.14% to 0.48%. Black veterans and older veterans had the lowest prevalence and incidence across all years. Increases in prevalence and incidence occurred across all demographic subgroups. The proportion of patients who had a neuropsychological evaluation within 6 months before or after a new ADHD diagnosis decreased from 12.6% to 10.8% [χ(1)=16.59, P<0.001]. CONCLUSION: Overall increases and demographic differences in adult veterans diagnosed with ADHD suggest a growing need to establish the reliability of diagnostic practices to ensure appropriate and equitable care.

Associations Between the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship Scales and Suicidal Ideation.

Various measures of social support have been associated with suicidal ideation (SI). However, a brief, consistent, multidimensional approach to social support assessment has not been established. We assessed the NIH Toolbox Adult Social Relationship (ASR) scales and their associations with the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSI). Five ASR scales (emotional support, instrumental support, friendship, loneliness, perceived rejection) were used to predict BSI scores among psychiatric inpatients at baseline (N = 79) and at 3-months follow-up (N = 63). Mean BSI scores were 22.2 (SD 8.6) at baseline and 5.7 (SD 6.7) at follow-up. The ASR scales had high internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.93-0.96). Emotional support was associated with SI at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Instrumental support, loneliness and perceived rejection were associated with SI at baseline. Friendship was not associated with SI at either time-point. The ASR scales appear promising in differentiating aspects of social support most relevant to SI.

Effectiveness of tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy in the Veterans Health Administration.

INTRODUCTION: In 2003, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) implemented a directive that cessation pharmacotherapy be made available to all who use tobacco and are interested in quitting. Despite the efficacy of cessation pharmacotherapy shown in clinical trials, the generalisability of the results in real-world settings has been challenged. Hence, the specific aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cessation pharmacotherapies in the VHA. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used VHA's electronic medical record data to compare quit rates among those who use tobacco and who did vs. did not receive any type of cessation pharmacotherapy. Included were 589 862 Veterans identified as current tobacco users during fiscal year 2011 who had not received cessation pharmacotherapy in the prior 12 months. Following a 6-month period to assess treatment, quit rates among those who were treated versus untreated were compared during the 7-18 months (12 months) post-treatment follow-up period. The estimated treatment effect was calculated from a logistic regression model adjusting for inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs) and covariates. Marginal probabilities of quitting were also obtained among those treated versus untreated. RESULTS: Adjusting for IPTWs and covariates, the odds of quitting were 24% higher among those treated versus untreated (OR=1.24, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.25, p<0.001). The marginal probabilities of quitting were 16.7% for the untreated versus 19.8% for the treated based on the weighted model. CONCLUSION: The increased quit rates among Veterans treated support the effectiveness and continuation of the VHA tobacco cessation pharmacotherapy policy.

Trends and Patient Characteristics Associated with Tobacco Pharmacotherapy Dispensed in the Veterans Health Administration.

Introduction: There is evidence suggesting that certain subgroups of people who use tobacco do not receive tobacco pharmacology as consistently as others. Methods: This retrospective, cohort study examined the trend in the use of cessation pharmacotherapy from 2004 to 2013 using Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administrative data. Among Veterans who used tobacco in the fiscal year (FY) 2011 and had not received pharmacotherapy in the prior year, multivariable Cox regression was used to assess the independent associations between patient clinical and demographic characteristics and pharmacotherapy initiation in the 6-months follow-up period. Results: Smoking cessation pharmacotherapy in the VHA increased from 13.8% in 2004 to 25.6% in 2013. In 2011, Veterans (N = 838309) who were more likely to newly receive pharmacotherapy included those with psychiatric disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, non-alcohol substance use disorder, other anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder), chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disorders, and younger Veterans (adjusted rate ratios (ARRs) ranged from 1.03 to 1.92, all p < .001). Veterans less likely to receive pharmacotherapy were those with schizophrenia or other psychosis, males, Hispanics, and those with a medical condition (uncomplicated diabetes, uncomplicated hypertension, fluid and electrolyte disorders, cardiac arrhythmia, valvular disease, hypothyroidism, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus, deficiency anemia, renal failure, paralysis, coagulopathy, metastatic cancer, and other neurological disorders) (ARRs ranged from 0.74 to 0.93, all p < .001). Conclusions: Although VHA cessation pharmacotherapy use nearly doubled from 13.8% in 2004 to 25.6% in 2013, reaching undertreated subgroups, especially those with medical comorbidities, may improve cessation outcomes. Implications: Despite evidence that demographics influence the use of pharmacotherapy in smoking cessation, there is limited and contradictory information regarding how psychiatric and chronic medical illnesses affect pharmacotherapy use. Administrative data were used to determine trends and patient characteristics of those receiving pharmacotherapy to aid in smoking cessation in the Veterans Health Administration. From 2004 to 2013, pharmacotherapy use increased from 13.8% to 25.6% of current smokers. Factors associated with increased pharmacotherapy initiation were psychiatric disorders, chronic pulmonary disease, peripheral vascular disorders, and younger age. Veterans with schizophrenia or other psychosis, males, Hispanics, and most medical conditions were less likely to receive pharmacotherapy.

Pregnancy Outcomes in a US Cohort of Transgender People.

This study assesses severe parental morbidity, cesarean deliveries, and preterm births among commercially and publicly insured trans people compared with cisgender people.

Documentation of Evidence-Based Psychotherapy and Care Quality for PTSD in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This study measured the prevalence of evidence-based psychotherapy (EBP) templated notes in VA and tested the hypothesis that template use would be associated with care quality for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Across 130 facilities, an average of 3.6% of patients with a PTSD diagnosis received at least one EBP template in 2015. Among patients receiving psychotherapy for PTSD, an average of 8.5% received an EBP template. In adjusted models, facility-level EBP template use was associated with a greater proportion of PTSD-diagnosed patients treated in specialty clinics, greater facility-level rates of diagnostic assessment, and greater facility-level rates of psychotherapy adequacy.

Predictors of PTSD Symptom Change Among Outpatients in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Although the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has prioritized care for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many patients with PTSD remain symptomatic. Patterns of PTSD symptom change are not well understood. Thus, the current study was designed to categorize and investigate potential predictors of symptom trajectories in patients with PTSD. The sample comprised 2,237 VA patients who were diagnosed with PTSD in 2013 and completed at least 4 PTSD Checklist (PCL) assessments over 12 weeks. Latent trajectory analysis was used to identify latent classes of patients based on PCL scores. Based on model fit indices, 3 trajectories were identified. Compared to patients in the mild-improving trajectory (21.9%), those in the severe-stable trajectory (34.3%) were more likely to be male, relative risk ratio (RRR) = 1.48, 95% CI [1.08, 2.02]; non-White, RRR = 1.77, 95% CI [1.33, 2.35]; Hispanic, RRR = 2.07, 95% CI [1.40, 3.04]; and have comorbid depression, RRR = 1.58, 95% CI [1.25, 1.99]. Compared to patients in the moderate-improving trajectory (43.8%), those in the severe-stable trajectory were more likely to have sleep disorders, RRR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.01, 1.55]. Our findings suggest that male veterans, minority veterans, and veterans with certain comorbid conditions may be less likely to achieve improved PTSD symptoms. Targeted efforts are needed to improve outcomes for PTSD patients on nonremitting trajectories and to improve the consistency of PTSD assessment across the VA health care system.

Pilot study of enhanced social support with automated telephone monitoring after psychiatric hospitalization for depression.

BACKGROUND: Following discharge, patients hospitalized for depression are at high risk for poor retention in outpatient care and adverse outcomes. AIMS: Pilot tests a post-hospital monitoring and enhanced support program for depression. METHOD: 48 patients at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center discharged following a depression-related inpatient stay received weekly visits or phone calls for 6 months from their choice of either a family member/friend (n = 19) or a certified peer support specialist (n = 29). Participants also completed weekly automated telephone monitoring calls assessing depressive symptoms and antidepressant medication adherence. RESULTS: Over 90% of participants were more satisfied with their care due to the service. The mean change from baseline to 6 months in depression symptoms was -7.9 (p < 0.05) according to the Patient Health Questionnaire and -11.2 (p < 0.05) according to the Beck Depression Inventory-II for those supported by a family member/friend, whereas those supported by a peer specialist had mean changes of -3.5 (p < 0.05) and -1.7 (p > 0.10), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Increased contact with a chosen support person coupled with automated telephone monitoring after psychiatric hospitalization is an acceptable service for patients with depression. Those who received the service, and particularly those supported by a family member/friend, experienced reductions in symptoms of depression.

Self-Determination Theory and Outpatient Follow-Up After Psychiatric Hospitalization.

The objective of this study was to assess whether the constructs of self-determination theory-autonomy, competence, and relatedness-are associated with adherence to outpatient follow-up appointments after psychiatric hospitalization. 242 individuals discharged from inpatient psychiatric treatment within the Veterans Health Administration completed surveys assessing self-determination theory constructs as well as measures of depression and barriers to treatment. Medical records were used to count the number of mental health visits and no-shows in the 14 weeks following discharge. Logistic regression models assessed the association between survey items assessing theory constructs and attendance at mental healthcare visits. In multivariate models, none of the self-determination theory factors predicted outpatient follow-up attendance. The constructs of self-determination theory as measured by a single self-report survey may not reliably predict adherence to post-hospital care. Need factors such as depression may be more strongly predictive of treatment adherence.

Potential Impact of Incorporating a Patient-Selected Support Person into mHealth for Depression.

BACKGROUND: Although telephone care management improves depression outcomes, its implementation as a standalone strategy is often not feasible in resource-constrained settings. Moreover, little research has examined the potential role of self-management support from patients' trusted confidants. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential benefits of integrating a patient-selected support person into automated mobile health (mHealth) for depression. DESIGN: Patient preference trial. PARTICIPANTS: Depressed primary care patients who were at risk for antidepressant nonadherence (i.e., Morisky Medication Adherence Scale total score > 1). INTERVENTION: Patients received weekly interactive voice response (IVR) telephone calls for depression that included self-management guidance. They could opt to designate a lay support person from outside their home to receive guidance on supporting their self-management. Patients' clinicians were automatically notified of urgent patient issues. MAIN MEASURES: Each week over a period of 6 months, we used IVR calls to monitor depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; with total < 5 classified as remission), adherence (single item reflecting perfect adherence over the past week), and functional impairment (any bed days due to mental health). KEY RESULTS: Of 221 at-risk patients, 61% participated with a support person. Analyses were adjusted for race, medical comorbidity, and baseline levels of symptom severity and adherence. Significant interaction effects indicated that during the initial phase of the program, only patients who participated with a support person improved significantly in their likelihood of either adhering to antidepressant medication (AOR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.16-1.47, p < 0.001) or achieving remission of depression symptoms (AOR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.14-1.34, p < 0.001). These benefits were maintained throughout the 6-month observation period. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating the "human factor" of a patient-selected support person into automated mHealth for depression self-management may yield sustained improvements in antidepressant adherence and depression symptom remission. However, this needs to be confirmed in a subsequent randomized controlled trial.

Social networks, mental health problems, and mental health service utilization in OEF/OIF National Guard veterans.

PURPOSE: Low social support and small social network size have been associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes, while their impact on mental health services use is less clear. To date, few studies have examined these associations in National Guard service members, where frequency of mental health problems is high, social support may come from military as well as other sources, and services use may be suboptimal. METHODS: Surveys were administered to 1448 recently returned National Guard members. Multivariable regression models assessed the associations between social support characteristics, probable mental health conditions, and service utilization. RESULTS: In bivariate analyses, large social network size, high social network diversity, high perceived social support, and high military unit support were each associated with lower likelihood of having a probable mental health condition (p < .001). In adjusted analyses, high perceived social support (OR .90, CI .88-.92) and high unit support (OR .96, CI .94-.97) continued to be significantly associated with lower likelihood of mental health conditions. Two social support measures were associated with lower likelihood of receiving mental health services in bivariate analyses, but were not significant in adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS: General social support and military-specific support were robustly associated with reduced mental health symptoms in National Guard members. Policy makers, military leaders, and clinicians should attend to service members' level of support from both the community and their units and continue efforts to bolster these supports. Other strategies, such as focused outreach, may be needed to bring National Guard members with need into mental health care.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Distress among Stroke Survivors.

OBJECTIVE: African Americans, Hispanics and some Asian subgroups have a higher stroke incidence than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Additionally, African Americans and Hispanics have worse stroke outcomes than non-Hispanic Whites. Thus, we explored racial and ethnic differences in mental distress, a known risk factor for post-stroke disability. METHODS: National Health Interview Survey data from 2000-2010 were used to identify 8,324 community dwelling adults with self-reported stroke. Serious mental distress was identified by the Kessler-6 scale. Logistic regression models assessed racial/ethnic associations with serious mental distress after adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, disability, health care utilization and socioeconomic factors. RESULTS: Serious mental distress was identified in 9% of stroke survivors. Hispanics (14%) were more likely to have serious mental distress than African Americans (9%), non-Hispanic Whites (9%) and Asians (8%, P = .02). After adjustment, Hispanics (OR = 1.06, 95% CI .76-1.48) and Asians (.84, 95% Cl .37-1.90) had a similar odds of serious mental distress while African Americans had a lower odds of serious mental distress (OR = .61, 95% CI .48-.78) compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Younger age, low levels of education and insurance were important predictors of serious mental distress among Hispanics. CONCLUSION: Serious mental distress is highly prevalent among US stroke survivors and is more common in Hispanics than NHWs, African Americans and Asians. Further study of the role of mental distress in ethnic differences in post-stroke disability is warranted.

Reported barriers to mental health care in three samples of U.S. Army National Guard soldiers at three time points.

The military community and its partners have made vigorous efforts to address treatment barriers and increase appropriate mental health services use among returning National Guard soldiers. We assessed whether there were differences in reports of treatment barriers in 3 categories (stigma, logistics, or negative beliefs about treatment) in sequential cross-sectional samples of U.S. soldiers from a Midwestern Army National Guard Organization who were returning from overseas deployments. Data were collected during 3 time periods: September 2007-August 2008 (n = 333), March 2009-March 2010 (n = 884), and August 2011-August 2012 (n = 737). In analyses using discretized time periods and in trend analyses, the percentages of soldiers endorsing negative beliefs about treatment declined significantly across the 3 sequential samples (19.1%, 13.9%, and 11.1%). The percentages endorsing stigma barriers (37.8%, 35.2%, 31.8%) decreased significantly only in trend analyses. Within the stigma category, endorsement of individual barriers regarding negative reactions to a soldier seeking treatment declined, but barriers related to concerns about career advancement did not. Negative treatment beliefs were associated with reduced services use (OR = 0.57; 95% CI [0.33, 0.97]).