Integrated Mental and Behavioral Health Care

Excerpt

A small proportion of Veterans account for nearly half of Veterans Affairs (VA) costs, most of which is hospitalization for medical (not mental health) conditions. But, almost half of such patients have a major mental health diagnosis. These mental health conditions, many of which are potentially treatable, are risk markers (and potentially risk factors) for future emergency visits and admissions for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. Thus, better identification and treatment of mental health conditions can improve not just mental health but physical health as well. VA has led the way in integrating mental health into primary care and is now considering initiating efforts at doing so in outpatient specialty clinics as well. Thus, the VHA Office of Mental Health asked the Evidence Synthesis Program for a review of recently published studies of mental health integration into outpatient specialty care.