title: Psychosocial concerns of veterans of operation enduring freedom/operation iraqi freedom.
abstract: U.S. veterans present with complex medical and psychosocial concerns postdeployment. Identification of psychosocial concerns is necessary for appropriate and targeted social work interventions to improve delivery and receipt of health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The purpose of this article is to identify specific psychosocial concerns of veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) presenting at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center. A retrospective chart review of psychosocial concerns from all OIF/OEF veterans seen fromJune 2008 toJune 2010 provided data for this mixed methods study. Veterans in the sample (N= 356) reported an average of 5.2 psychosocial concerns (SD = 2.32, range = 0 to 11). The most commonly reported concerns were pain (72 percent), sleep (62 percent), cognition (61 percent), vocational issues (53 percent), education (49 percent), finances (42 percent), relationships (37 percent), anger (30 percent), substance abuse (23 percent), and social support (20 percent), though these categories were not exclusive and many veterans endorsed more than one category. Multiple psychosocial concerns reported by veterans suggest the need for targeted social work intervention.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strong
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Findley
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D004651:Employment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009515:New Jersey / Q000453:epidemiology; D059408:Pain Management; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D057566:Self Report; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders; D012947:Social Work / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D058014:Veterans Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*