WASHINGTON, DC—The fastest growing segment of patients treated at the nation’s VA facilities are those with four or more chronic diseases, increasing from 15% to 22% in an eight-year period ending in 2008, according to a recent study.

WASHINGTON, DC—VHA and DoD have already recognized that they serve the same patients, just at different times during their lives. But it is only during the last few years that the two departments have thought of themselves as a true continuum of care, at least as far as mental health care is concerned, and have endeavored to ease the transition for patients from one system to the other.

WASHINGTON, DC—Active duty servicemembers with combat-related PTSD who have not experienced improvements in their condition in outpatient care have a new option for treatment.

WASHINGTON, DC—Building resilience in servicemembers must start when they enter basic training and must include their families, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm Michael Mullen.

WASHINGTON, DC—Some individuals in distress may be more comfortable sharing their struggles with a peer than with a mental health counselor. Formalized peer-to-peer support programs seek to capitalize on that by training peer supporters to provide guidance and resource links to fellow colleagues who are struggling.

WASHINGTON, DC—Obesity and psychological problems are taking a toll on children. How can health providers, federal agencies, schools, and other entities address these issues in young people?

WASHINGTON, DC—The military has to improve integrating medical and non-medical support for injured servicemembers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, said Col John Mayer, commander of the USMC Wounded Warrior Regiment. Mayer and his team provide non-medical support to wounded, ill, and injured (WII) Marines, going with them through the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration processes.

WASHINGTON, DC—When VA Secretary Eric Shinseki took his post nearly two years ago, he learned that veterans lead the nation in homelessness, depression, substance abuse, and suicide.

Opinion poll:
Should VA direct more resources to prevent homelessness or to care for those already homeless? Please read the article about ending homelessness among Veterans and participate in the online poll.

WASHINGTON, DC—IHS, SAMHSA, and the Department of the Interior’s Indian Affairs have been holding tribal listening sessions across Indian country to seek input on how the agencies can most effectively work within American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities to prevent suicide.

BETHESDA, MD—Where do you find resiliency as a healer and a soldier? As the role of combat medics becomes more and more important to the increasing survival rate of combat casualties, that is a question that military psychiatrists are asking.