Preventing job loss and functional decline: Description and demonstration of the Veterans Health Administration supported Employment: Engage and Keep (SEEK) program.

The high incidence of untreated mental health concerns among veterans can harm other areas of life, including employment. Loss of employment can lead to other adverse outcomes, such as financial instability, functional decline, and increased risk for suicide. Current Veterans Health Administration (VHA) vocational services are limited in that they primarily serve veterans who are unemployed and already enrolled in VHA. There is a need to prevent job loss among veterans who are struggling with mental health and vocational concerns and are not accessing VHA services, thus decreasing the risk of suicide and more costly interventions. Consistent with the existing national VHA initiatives on increasing access to health care and preventing suicide, a novel work-based intervention, Supported Employment: Engage and Keep (SEEK), was created. Building on the supported employment framework, SEEK assertively outreaches to already employed veterans by collaborating with workplaces that employ veterans. SEEK providers build rapport with employers and veterans and become a trusted VHA resource. SEEK engages veterans, facilitates enrollment in needed health care, and provides needed job maintenance support. This article outlines the SEEK model and provides a case demonstration and analysis of the course of SEEK care provided to a veteran at risk of losing their job. Clinical recommendations for implementing SEEK and future directions for evaluating this model are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Caregiver Support Role in Occupational Therapy Video Telehealth: A Scoping Review.

Caregiver involvement may facilitate patient participation in occupational therapy (OT) video telehealth. However, little is known about the extent to which caregivers participate and what they do. This scoping review aims to, 1) describe the caregiver role supporting patient participation in OT video telehealth, and, 2) identify barriers and facilitators to caregiver involvement. Findings reveal caregiver involvement in a range of OT evaluation and intervention processes, with details on what caregivers did overall lacking. Barriers and facilitators are also described. This study underscores the need for clear and robust descriptions of caregiver participation to increase best practices in video telehealth.

Chronic pain and problematic substance use for veterans during COVID-19: the moderating role of psychological flexibility.

Background: Chronic pain and problematic substance use are commonly co-occurring and highly detrimental issues that are especially prevalent in U.S. veteran populations. Although COVID-19 made clinical management of these conditions potentially difficult, some research suggests that certain veterans with these conditions did not experience this period as negatively as others. It is thus important to consider whether resilience factors, such as the increasingly-studied process of psychological flexibility, might have led to better outcomes for veterans managing pain and problematic substance use during this time of global crisis. Methods: This planned sub-analysis of a larger cross-sectional, anonymous, and nationally-distributed survey (N = 409) was collected during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Veteran participants completed a short screener and battery of online surveys assessing pain severity and interference, substance use, psychological flexibility, mental health functioning, and pandemic-related quality of life. Results: For veterans with chronic pain and problematic substance use, the pandemic resulted in a significant lowering of their quality of life related to meeting basic needs, emotional health, and physical health compared to veterans with problematic substance use but no chronic pain diagnosis. However, moderation analyses revealed that veterans with these comorbid conditions experienced less negative impacts from the pandemic on quality of life and mental health when they reported greater psychological flexibility. For veterans with problematic substance use only, psychological flexibility was also related to better mental health functioning, but did not significantly correlate with their quality of life. Conclusion: Results highlight how COVID-19 differentially impacted veterans with both problematic substance use and chronic pain, such that this group reported particularly negative impacts of the pandemic on multiple areas of quality of life. However, our findings further emphasize that psychological flexibility, a modifiable resiliency process, also buffered against some of the negative impacts of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life. Given this, future research into the impact of natural crises and healthcare management should investigate how psychological flexibility can be targeted to help increase resiliency for veterans with chronic pain and problematic substance use.

Veteran Acceptance of Sleep Health Information Technology: a Mixed-Method Study.

Sleep disturbances, including chronic insomnia and sleep apnea, are major concerns for US veterans, with rising rates and detrimental effects on physical, mental, and social well-being. Sleep disturbances in veterans are also underdiagnosed and undertreated for reasons that include limited sleep clinician availability, long wait times, and the time commitment for treatment. Greater use of sleep health information technologies could improve access to assessment and treatment of sleep disturbances. However, the assessment of acceptance of these technologies among veterans is still ongoing. This mixed-method study combines data from two separate but similar randomized controlled trials to assess acceptance of sleep health information technologies for veterans with chronic insomnia. Sleep health information technologies included in these trials were the following: (1) a WatchPAT sleep monitor for home-based sleep assessment, including detection of sleep apnea, and (2) the VA mobile app Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i Coach), which supports self-management of insomnia. The combined sample of 37 veterans receiving care within one New England VA medical center completed a six-week trial using both health information technology tools. Participants completed a survey and interview at the end of the 6 weeks. Overall, participants found the tools acceptable, easy to use, and useful and reported they would use them in the future. Thus, these sleep health information technologies appear to provide an acceptable remote option for assessing and managing sleep issues for veterans. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02392000; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02392000 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03305354; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03305354.

Using Veterans Socials to Build a Community: Feasibility of the VOICES Intervention.

Increasing social connection and access to care has been found to decrease the rate of suicide in U.S. veterans. The Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES) is an intervention developed by Department Veteran Affairs (VA) staff to improve social connection and provide information about services by implementing community-based Veterans Socials. Seventy veterans at eight locations completed an anonymous cross-sectional survey. This evaluation examined three domains, acceptability (i.e., perceived value), demand (i.e., estimated or actual use), and expansion (i.e., sustainability and increase of Veterans Socials across time and locations). Findings indicated considerable levels of acceptability, demand for, and expansion of this intervention. Additionally, data suggested this intervention may increase social connection and utilization of VA services among attendees.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Self-Reported Substance Use, Well-Being, and Functioning Among United States Veterans: A Cross-Sectional Study.

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps the globe, many veterans with substance use issues have faced the closure of treatment facilities, mandates to shelter in place, and social distancing measures. To better understand their pandemic experiences, substance use changes, and functioning, a survey was nationally administered to a sample of United States veterans reporting substance use issues during the pandemic. The purpose of this cross-sectional online survey for veterans (N = 409) was to report on COVID-19 experiences, safety behaviors, and infection experiences while also investigating the relationship among addictive behaviors, mental and physical health, and COVID-19 impact. Measures also assessed specific substance use concerns, pandemic-related loneliness, and functioning. Though few veterans reported personally receiving a confirmed COVID-19 medical diagnosis (10.5%), the impact of pandemic stressors was evident, with a majority reporting anxiety related to contracting COVID-19 (61.4%) or fear of a family member or close friend contracting COVID-19 (58.7%). Participants reported increased use of alcohol (45.3%), sedatives (36.6%), inhalants (35.7%), tobacco (35.0%), and cannabis (34.9%), attributed specifically to the pandemic. Regression analyses revealed that even when controlling for the contribution of problematic substance use issues, negative pandemic impacts and self-reported COVID-19 related loneliness were related to more impaired physical and mental health functioning during the pandemic. Findings from this sample of veterans with addiction issues add to the growing literature suggesting unique and adverse effects of COVID-19 stressors on functioning while also revealing specific pandemic impacts for this group.

A quantitative and qualitative examination of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on U.S. veterans with self-reported anxiety and alcohol use disorder.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic generated concerns about rising stress and alcohol use, especially in U.S. veterans who experience high rates of anxiety disorders (ADs), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and dual AD+AUD diagnoses. This study investigated differences among these diagnostic groups in a veteran population related to their concern about COVID-19, impacts of COVID-19 on quality of life, and self-reported changes to urge to drink and drinking frequency. Methods: A nationally administered online survey was given to a sample of U.S. veterans reporting substance use issues during the pandemic. Differences in the level of concern about COVID-19, impacts of COVID-19 on quality of life, and drinking behaviors were examined in those self-reporting AD (n = 98), AUD (n = 46), or AD+AUD (n = 67). Consensual qualitative research was used to analyze an open-ended question about COVID-19's impact on substance use, health, and quality of life. Results: Veterans with AD+AUD experienced significant increases in urge to drink and alcohol consumption compared to veterans with AD only. Greater urge and frequency of drinking were associated with greater negative impacts of COVID-19 on quality of life. There were no differences among groups in global negative impact on quality of life or level of COVID-19 concern. However, respondents described specific COVID-19 worries, with qualitative findings revealing that those with AD+AUD reported a disproportionate psychosocial burden due to the pandemic. Discussion: Special attention in screening and treatment should be given to those with a dual AD+AUD diagnosis who may be experiencing both an increase in alcohol use and psychosocial burden as stress increases due to the pandemic.