Screening West Virginia Veterans for Mental Health Issues- 2CH

Course overview

Target Audience: The target audience for this education program is nurses who want to improve their ability to effectively screen U.S. veterans for mental health problems and facilitate treatment for such problems. Course Overview: There are approximately 23.4 million veterans in the United States and about 2.2 million military service members and 3.1 million immediately family members. A significant number of veterans are dealing with problems related to mental health disorders, which are intertwined with the problems of homelessness, substance use/abuse, and suicide. It is imperative that nurses be able to screen veterans for such problems and intervene promptly and effectively to help decrease the effects of these critical healthcare issues. Learning Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the reader should be able to: 1. Discuss relevant statistical data that pertain to the mental health of veterans. 2. Discuss why veterans may be reluctant to seek help for mental health issues. 3. Describe the characteristics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among veterans. 4. Explain treatment initiatives for PTSD. 5. Discuss statistics pertaining to depression, traumatic brain injury, and suicide in veterans. 6. Explain the screening process for depression. 7. Assist in facilitating treatment for veterans suffering from depression.