(August 27, 2010 -- Las Vegas) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today applauded $6 million in grant funding for research into the links between substance abuse and combat-related trauma.  The funding has been awarded to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which will work in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study and improve treatment options for veterans.

 

"We have seen the results of combat trauma among veterans who develop substance abuse issues following a military deployment and this grant funding will allow VA and NIH to study this connection.  Those who served in America's armed forces are entitled to a full range of treatment through the VA and that includes mental health assistance for veterans in need of help with alcohol, drugs or other forms of substance abuse.  Funding for this grant is a result of provisions I authored following the tragic death of Lance Corporal Justin Bailey, an Iraq war veteran from Nevada who died from a prescription drug overdose while under VA care.  This is an issue that continues to impact veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.  The research funded through this grant will help VA provide more effective mental health services for those battling substance abuse and that will help save lives," said Berkley.

 

Berkley authored provisions in honor of Marine Lance Corporal Justin Bailey that were incorporated into a law passed in 2008, which enhances the availability of substance abuse treatment and mental health services at VA facilities nationwide.  Bailey, who was diagnosed with PTSD following his return from active duty, sought substance abuse treatment through the VA.  The 27-year-old veteran died of a prescription drug overdose from medicines he was given while in the care of the VA clinic in Los Angeles, California.

 

Research funded by the grant will look at treatment seeking patterns -- why and when veterans ask for help, and why many don't.  Scientists will also explore treatment strategies, including cognitive behavioral therapy and Web-based approaches, as well as the most effective therapies for soldiers who have other disorders, such as depression and substance abuse.  Researchers will also determine if early intervention can improve outcomes.  Other projects will focus on how veterans readjust to their work and families after returning from war.

 

NIH agencies taking part in the initiative are the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Cancer Institute.  Institutions receiving the grants include Brandeis University; Dartmouth College; the Medical University of South Carolina; the National Development and Research Institutes in New York City; the University of California, San Francisco; the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities; the University of Missouri in Columbia; and the VA medical centers in West Haven, Conn.; Philadelphia; Little Rock, Ark.; and Seattle.