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This report examines changes in behavioral health care delivered to service members by the Military Health System following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including patterns of care, use of telehealth, and quality of care. The findings and recommendations are intended to inform improvements to behavioral health care in the Military Health System and provide insights into the implications of its ongoing integration of telehealth.

The Military Health System (MHS) aims to improve the health of all U.S. military personnel, provide the highest quality of care possible, maintain low per capita health care costs, and support overall military readiness. High-quality, evidence-based behavioral health treatment is central to individual well-being and the overall health of the force. However, there has been little research to date on the behavioral health care that National Guard and reserve personnel-collectively known as the reserve component (RC)-receive from the MHS. The full-time personnel in the U.S. military's active component (AC) overwhelmingly receive behavioral health care in military treatment facilities and generally from behavioral health specialty providers, RC personnel rely much more heavily on private-sector contracted care (also referred to as purchased care) and primary care providers. MHS administrative data indicate that RC personnel are less likely to receive recommended treatment for PTSD, depression, and substance use disorders. Likewise, RC personnel who live in areas that are remote from a military treatment facility are less likely than who do not to receive recommended treatment for these conditions. These findings, which focus on behavioral health care access and quality, highlight pathways to improvement for the MHS as part of its ongoing transition to a more centralized model for delivering and overseeing health care across the force.

The authors evaluated access and quality of behavioral health care provided to service members who reside remotely from a military treatment facility and compared their care with that received by non-remote personnel.

Concerns about access to behavioral health care for military service members and their dependents living in geographically remote locations prompted research into how many in this population are remote and the effects of this distance on their use of behavioral health care. The authors conducted geospatial and longitudinal analyses to answer these questions and reviewed current policies and programs to determine barriers and possible solutions.

The authors examined trends in the use of virtual behavioral health (VBH) care for U.S. Army soldiers and their spouses from prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic through March 2022 and surveyed soldiers about their perceptions of VBH care.

This report examines changes in behavioral health care delivered to service members by the Military Health System following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including patterns of care, use of telehealth, and quality of care. The findings and recommendations are intended to inform improvements to behavioral health care in the Military Health System and provide insights into the implications of its ongoing integration of telehealth.

This report documents analysis conducted across a variety of public nationally representative datasets to generate baseline estimates related to veterans' demographics, mental health, and labor market outcomes. The authors summarize relevant estimates and trends to support the work of policymakers and researchers focused on veteran-related issues and to inform public audiences interested in the welfare of the U.S. veteran population. The authors first explore trends and estimates focused on the demographics of the veteran population, drawing primarily from the American Community Survey. They next present estimates focused on the mental and behavioral health of veterans, drawing primarily from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Finally, the authors explore trends and estimates focused on veterans' participation in the labor market, drawing primarily from the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Concerns about access to behavioral health care for military service members and their dependents living in geographically remote locations prompted research into how many in this population are remote and the effects of this distance on their use of behavioral health care. The authors conducted geospatial and longitudinal analyses to answer these questions and reviewed current policies and programs to determine barriers and possible solutions.

This report examines changes in behavioral health care delivered to service members by the Military Health System following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including patterns of care, use of telehealth, and quality of care. The findings and recommendations are intended to inform improvements to behavioral health care in the Military Health System and provide insights into the implications of its ongoing integration of telehealth.

This first population-based study of care received by service members with mild traumatic brain injury in the Military Health System profiles patients, their care settings and treatments, co-occurring conditions, and risk factors for long-term care.