Veteran screening aids mental health.

Screening techniques used to assess mental well-being among veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan may help disperse negative stigmas that surround mental illness.

According to an April AJPH study of 750 veterans referred to a Veterans Affairs medical center and five community clinics, almost 340 participated in postdeployment screening, with about 230 screening positive for mental health problems. Of those who screened positive for mental health problems, 73 percent completed a mental health follow-up, which suggested that the "VA screens may help overcome a 'don't ask, don't tell' climate that surrounds stigmatized mental illness," the study stated. The authors also found that postdeployment screening was more likely among veterans during a primary care visit, more likely for those seen at a VA community clinic rather than a medical center, and more likely among white veterans than black veterans.

The likelihood of such veterans seeking a follow-up mental health visit within 90 days of screening increased for those seen at a VA community clinic, rather than a medical center, and for those seen during a primary care visit, rather than in another outpatient setting, the study found. Many of the veterans who underwent postdeployment screening screened positive for posttraumatic stress disorder, depression or high-risk alcohol use.

"Most veterans who access VA care are separated from military service and, thus, may feel less stigma than military personnel might about disclosing mental health symptoms and less concern about a negative impact on their military careers," the study authors wrote. "In addition, veterans who have been home longer may develop symptoms they did not have or recognize previously." (Page 714)