Transcending Self Therapy (TST) is an integrative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for substance use disorders (SUD). Virtual reality (VR)-based enhancement of treatment for mental health disorders holds potential as an innovative and immersive adjunct to standards of care. However, outside of cue-conditioning applications, how VR may assist SUD treatment is not well understood. The aim […]
Military, Veterans, Military Families
Telepsychology-Service Delivery for Depressed Elderly Veterans
Many rural veterans struggle to receive treatment for depression due to distance from the nearest VA health facility, difficulty with transportation, or mobility issues. Some veterans avoid mental health treatment because of the stigma associated with such care. Researchers and clinicians at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina, developed a […]
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is an early intervention education program that teaches the public how to assist someone experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Mental Health First Aid teaches the skills needed to identify, understand, and respond to individuals who may be experiencing signs of a mental illness or substance use disorder. Mental Health First Aid […]
STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation) for Veterans
According to the Veteran Affairs Office of Rural Health, 4.7 million veterans live in the rural United States. Of these rural veterans, 8% are women. According to a 2014 Journal of Rural Health article, rural women veterans were less likely than their urban counterparts to seek mental healthcare from Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. The VA […]
The Rural Telemental Health (RTMH) Program in Oregon
Since 2009, the Rural Telemental Health (RTMH) program has been improving access to mental healthcare for rural veterans in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The RTMH program, stationed at the Portland VA Medical Center, was started with funding from the VHA Office of Rural Health. Instead of needing to drive long distances to a Veterans Administration (VA) facility, […]
Hispanic Veterans and Smoking Cessation
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) serves a Veteran population that is increasingly racially and ethnically diverse. Equitable access to high-quality care for all Veterans is a major tenet of the VA healthcare mission. The Office of Health Equity (OHE) champions the elimination of health disparities and achieving health equity for all Veterans. They released the […]