Findings showed that: Veterans are more likely to experience poor physical health than their nonveteran peers. However, the evidence for this conclusion is stronger and more consistent for veterans (aged 45-64) than for older ones (aged 65-90). Table 2: Higher prevalence of poor physical health (including long-term physical health conditions) in veterans compared with nonveterans SUPPORTED PARTIALLY SUPPORTED NOT SUPPORTED Health-related QoL: Physical Chronic health conditions:, includes arthritis, coronary heart disease, deafness, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, cancers (lung and prostate), migraine, Motor Neurone Disease, obesity Disability and physical function Falls Alcoholic liver disease, Mortality, health Function and activity limitation, Change in physical and functional health over time, Tuberculosis Dementia, Circulatory diseases, respiratory diseases, and infectious disease Note: Of the 17 individual studies featured in this table, 10 are from the U.S., three from Australia, three from the U.K., and one from Canada. Veterans are more likely to experience poor mental health than nonveteran peers. However, the evidence for this conclusion is stronger and more consistent for veterans (aged 45-64) than for older ones (aged 65-90). Table 3: Higher prevalence of poor mental health (including long-term mental health conditions) in veterans compared with nonveterans
Pharmacist-led interventions for reducing blood pressure, In-home health assessment for general health and function, Telephone-delivered: CBT and manualised education for pain Nurse-led intervention to increase confidence to follow treatment for hypertension Advanced Comprehensive Diabetes Care (ACDC) Self-management for: medication adherence stroke risk factors Hepatitis C virus bipolar disorder and cardiovascular disease risk factors Web-based tool to reduce inappropriate medications (TRIM) and individual physical therapy for arthritis Hospital-based Home Care (HBHC) Program for improved cognitive functioning Geriatric outpatient management (GEM) for veterans Integrated outpatient treatment for ill alcoholic men Multimodal intervention to improve medication adherence and blood pressure control Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Structured education program to improve pressure ulcer prevention knowledge Pharmacist outreach to improve glycaemic control Enhanced outreach program to improve clinic attendance in rural areas Work therapy for homeless veterans Telehealth for pain Telephone-supported care coordination for congestive heart failure UPBEAT (in-depth geriatric assessment and proactive mental health care coordination) no better than standard care for general health status among older veterans Home Care (HBHC) Program vs. usual care did not lead to improvement in self-care (ADL) Peer-led for hypertension no better than standard care Table 8: Interventions for screening and immunisation SUPPORTED (Two or more studies) PROMISING (One study only) UNKNOWN Conflicting NOT SUPPORTED No improvement management
CBT for sleep (including telephone-based and nonclinical sleep coaches), , Home-based physical activity counselling via telephone or in-person, Educational DVD for physical activity ASPIRE: nonclinician via telephone or in-person groups for weight loss Wellness coaching for weight loss Multicomponent smoking treatment Proactive outreach and choice of smoking cessation services to reduce smoking Flinders Program™ of chronic condition management to reduce alcohol consumption and dependence Auricular acupuncture to reduce craving for alcohol, heroin and cocaine Residential care unit for homeless, addicted veterans Contingency (rewards for abstinence) to improve retention and outcomes for alcohol and drug use Pharmacist-led interventions for exercise and foot care in diabetes A brief alcohol intervention with a clinician prompted participants to use more outpatient medical services, but there were no effects MOVE! Program involving individual and sessions and designed to improve physical activity and eating habits and reduce weight was no more effective than providing monthly brochures and handouts Auriculotherapy (a stop smoking class) did not reduce smoking UPBEAT Psychogeriatric assessment and proactive mental health care coordination did not reduce alcohol abuse Offering homeless alcohol-dependent veterans injections to reduce heavy drinking Telephone-based disease management (TDM) for at-risk drinking Table 10: Interventions for mental health SUPPORTED (Two or more studies) PROMISING (One study only) UNKNOWN Conflicting results NOT SUPPORTED No improvement
Telemedicine is equally effective as treatment Telephone-delivered CBT for pain management reduced depression Telephone-delivered behavioural activation reduced depression Telephone-based disease management to reduce alcohol use reduced depression Brief alcohol intervention with personalised feedback for depression Collaborative care depression treatment Pain management for depression Behavioural activation delivered at home by videoconferencing Peer-led mental health recovery Dual-disorder specific CBT and 12-step group for depression Acupuncture to cravings for alcohol or drugs and reduce anxiety Geriatric outpatient management (GEM) Problem-solving therapy Emotional Freedom Technique Weight loss for quality of life Intervention for bipolar disorder medical care on quality of life Mifepristone for verbal learning Behavioural interventions combined with cognitive techniques for suicide ideation Health buddy via telehealth for suicide ideation UPBEAT intervention was no more effective than usual care in reducing symptoms of depression except among those with more physical health problems Sleep intervention for depression Critical Time Intervention to improve quality of care after psychiatric impatient hospitalisation (modest improvement only in quality of life) Problem-solving for depression Sleep intervention for depression Diabetes care (ACDC) did not reduce depression Chronic condition management did not reduce depression Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) is no more effective than problem-solving in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia Telephone-based psychiatric management (similar to usual care) Table 11: Interventions to improve social engagement SUPPORTED (Two or more studies) PROMISING (One study only) UNKNOWN Conflicting results NOT SUPPORTED No improvement