VA/NIH Award $6 Million for Substance Abuse Research

VA/NIH Award $6 Million for Substance Abuse Research

Studies to Fill Knowledge Gaps about OIF/OEF Service Members

WASHINGTON - The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) to award $6 million in grants for
research examining the link between substance abuse and military
deployments and combat-related trauma.

"VA has a commitment to meet the full range of our Veterans' physical
and mental health care needs, and that includes addressing substance
abuse," said Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA's chief research and development
officer. "This coordinated research effort is one more way we are
turning that commitment into action."

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.

Several studies 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.

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.

"These research projects will give us important information about the
ways that combat stress and substance abuse affect returning military
personnel and their families," said NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow.
"This knowledge will be used to improve our prevention and treatment
approaches, which we hope will reduce the burden of combat-related
trauma. Working cooperatively with VA and other partners will help in
finding solutions for this shared concern."

VA NIH Award 6 Million for Substance Abuse Research