By the Numbers - Sept. 15, 2014
74%
The percentage of a sample of 5,185 veterans who received care from the Veterans Health Administration for mental health or substance use problems, who reported being helped by the treatment, according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation published in the journal Psychiatric Services --Veterans’ Perceptions of Behavioral Health Care in the Veterans Health Administration: A National Survey.
That being said, just 32% of that sample reported that their symptoms had improved.
According to the researchers, about half the patients indicated they always received "routine appointments" when requested, but just 42% were "highly satisfied" with VA mental health care.
“We found that veterans who received services from the VA for mental health or substance use problems reported satisfaction with their care that was similar to or slightly lower than people who receive similar care in other public or private health care systems,” said Kimberly Hepner, the study's lead author and a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “There certainly was room for improvement in all the areas we studied.”
74%
The percentage of a sample of 5,185 veterans who received care from the Veterans Health Administration for mental health or substance use problems, who reported being helped by the treatment, according to a recent study by the RAND Corporation published in the journal Psychiatric Services --Veterans’ Perceptions of Behavioral Health Care in the Veterans Health Administration: A National Survey.
That being said, just 32% of that sample reported that their symptoms had improved.
According to the researchers, about half the patients indicated they always received "routine appointments" when requested, but just 42% were "highly satisfied" with VA mental health care.
“We found that veterans who received services from the VA for mental health or substance use problems reported satisfaction with their care that was similar to or slightly lower than people who receive similar care in other public or private health care systems,” said Kimberly Hepner, the study's lead author and a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. “There certainly was room for improvement in all the areas we studied.”