Improving addiction and mental health care for Veterans with substance use disorders
HSR&D Research Career Scientist Award
This work is developing ways to help Veterans with substance use disorders—especially those who also have chronic pain or mental health conditions—get better, safer treatment and avoid overdose or suicide.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11326850 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be helped by efforts to make addiction care work better for Veterans who also have chronic pain or mental health problems. The researcher is studying ways to better connect behavioral health treatments with addictions services across VA clinics, using VA patient records, clinical programs, and real-world care changes. The work focuses on lowering overdose, suicide risk, and other adverse events by tailoring treatment to Veterans' combined needs. If successful, VA clinics could adopt these approaches to reach more Veterans and improve outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Veterans receiving care in the VA who have substance use disorders, particularly those with co-occurring chronic pain or psychiatric conditions, are the primary candidates for this work.
Not a fit: People without substance use disorders, non-Veterans, or Veterans not enrolled in VA care would be unlikely to participate or directly benefit from this specific VA-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to more coordinated addiction and mental health care in the VA, fewer overdoses and suicides, and improved recovery and quality of life for Veterans with SUDs.
How similar studies have performed: Previous VA and other studies have shown promise for integrated addiction and mental health treatments, but targeted approaches to reduce overdose and suicide among Veterans with co-occurring pain and SUDs remain an active area of research.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- Veterans Health Administration — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ilgen, Mark a. — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Ilgen, Mark a.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.