Clinical trial NCT01156727: Linking National Guard Veterans With Need to Mental Health Care
Official title: Linking National Guard Veterans With Need to Mental Health Care
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: OEF/OIF
Mental Health
Veterans
Lead sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
Sponsor class: FED
First posted: 2010-07-05
Enrollment: 3015
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: SURVEY: Michigan Army National Guard soldiers who have returned from OEF/OIF deployments between August 2010 and December 2012.

INTERVIEW: Michigan Army National Guard soldiers and key B2B stakeholders.

Brief summary: This project added an evaluation/research component to an existing peer outreach program, implemented for over 1100 soldiers in the Michigan Army National Guard. The study aims were to: 1) evaluate the implementation of the B2B program to inform ongoing program modifications and facilitate future dissemination efforts, 2) assess whether the B2B program increases mental health and substance use treatment initiation and treatment retention among returning National Guard soldiers, and 3) explore whether the B2B program improves mental health symptoms, deceases hazardous alcohol use, and improves soldier well-being.

Detailed description: The study aims were to: 1) evaluate the implementation of the B2B program to inform ongoing program modifications and facilitate future dissemination efforts, 2) assess whether the B2B program increases mental health and substance use treatment initiation and treatment retention among returning National Guard soldiers, and 3) explore whether the B2B program improves mental health symptoms, deceases hazardous alcohol use, and improves soldier well-being.

The study had three components which addressed each of the three specific aims. The first component assessed B2B implementation using an embedded mixed methods design. This evaluation included real-time assessment and adaptation of the program, as well as retrospective evaluation of implementation process, sustainability, and potential for spread. The second component addressed the impact of B2B on treatment initiation and retention. Preliminary analyses were completed using regression analyses. Pending additional data from the DoD, an interrupted time series design to assess Michigan National Guard soldiers' VA and non-VA services use in multiple time periods before and after the date of B2B implementation will be conducted.. The third study component assessed the impact of B2B on MI ARNG soldiers' outcomes using longitudinal survey data and adjusting for baseline mental health status using data from the Post Deployment Health Assessment (PDHA).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Michigan Army National Guard soldiers who have returned from OEF/OIF deployments between August 2010 and December 2012.

Exclusion Criteria:

Soldiers who did not return from deployment during the study time period.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Hazardous alcohol use
timeFrame: 6 and 12 months post deployment
measure: PTSD symptoms
timeFrame: 6 and 12 months post deployment
measure: Depressive symptoms
timeFrame: 6 and 12 months post deployment
measure: Awareness of B2B Program
timeFrame: 6 and 12 months post deployment
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Mental Health service utilization
timeFrame: 6 and 12 months post deployment
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Ann Arbor
country: United States
facility: VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
state: Michigan
Study officials:
affiliation: VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
name: Marcia T. Valenstein, MD AB
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Valenstein M, Gorman L, Blow AJ, Ganoczy D, Walters H, Kees M, Pfeiffer PN, Kim HM, Lagrou R, Wadsworth SM, Rauch SA, Dalack GW. Reported barriers to mental health care in three samples of U.S. Army National Guard soldiers at three time points. J Trauma Stress. 2014 Aug;27(4):406-14. doi: 10.1002/jts.21942.
citation: Bonar EE, Bohnert KM, Walters HM, Ganoczy D, Valenstein M. Student and Nonstudent National Guard Service Members/Veterans and Their Use of Services for Mental Health Symptoms. J Am Coll Health. 2015;63(7):437-46. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2014.975718.
citation: Sripada RK, Richards SK, Rauch SA, Walters HM, Ganoczy D, Bohnert KM, Gorman LA, Kees M, Blow AJ, Valenstein M. Socioeconomic Status and Mental Health Service Use Among National Guard Soldiers. Psychiatr Serv. 2015 Sep;66(9):992-5. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400346. Epub 2015 May 1.
citation: Sripada RK, Bohnert AS, Teo AR, Levine DS, Pfeiffer PN, Bowersox NW, Mizruchi MS, Chermack ST, Ganoczy D, Walters H, Valenstein M. Social networks, mental health problems, and mental health service utilization in OEF/OIF National Guard veterans. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2015 Sep;50(9):1367-78. doi: 10.1007/s00127-015-1078-2. Epub 2015 Jun 2.
citation: Nelson CB, Zivin K, Walters H, Ganoczy D, MacDermid Wadsworth S, Valenstein M. Factors Associated With Civilian Employment, Work Satisfaction, and Performance Among National Guard Members. Psychiatr Serv. 2015 Dec 1;66(12):1318-25. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.201400334. Epub 2015 Aug 17.
citation: Gorman LA, Sripada RK, Ganoczy D, Walters HM, Bohnert KM, Dalack GW, Valenstein M. Determinants of National Guard Mental Health Service Utilization in VA versus Non-VA Settings. Health Serv Res. 2016 Oct;51(5):1814-37. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.12446. Epub 2016 Feb 3.
citation: Zivin K, Yosef M, Levine DS, Abraham KM, Miller EM, Henry J, Nelson CB, Pfeiffer PN, Sripada RK, Harrod M, Valenstein M. Employment status, employment functioning, and barriers to employment among VA primary care patients. J Affect Disord. 2016 Mar 15;193:194-202. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.12.054. Epub 2015 Dec 30.
citation: Kim HM, Levine DS, Pfeiffer PN, Blow AJ, Marchiondo C, Walters H, Valenstein M. Postdeployment Suicide Risk Increases Over a 6-month Period: Predictors of Increased Risk among Midwestern Army National Guard Soldiers. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2017 Aug;47(4):421-435. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12303. Epub 2016 Oct 5.