Understanding alcohol use and barriers to mental health care for women and minority post-9/11 veterans

Multimethod Examination of Individual and Environmental Factors Associated with Alcohol Use and Behavioral Health Care Disparities Among Racial/Ethnic Minority and Women Veterans

NIH-funded research Rand Corporation · NIH-11121908

This project will follow post-9/11 veterans who are not using VA behavioral health care to learn how alcohol use, PTSD, depression, and life circumstances affect getting help and staying well.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionRand Corporation NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Santa Monica, United States)
Project IDNIH-11121908 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be part of a four-year effort that follows 2,000 post-9/11 veterans who are not currently engaged in VA behavioral health care, with short surveys every six months to track symptoms, alcohol use, and care-seeking. A smaller group of 65 veterans will do in-depth interviews first to share life experiences and help shape the survey questions so they reflect real concerns. The team will combine the interviews and survey data to see how individual, social, and environmental factors influence treatment access and outcomes over time. Findings aim to highlight specific barriers and supports for racial/ethnic minority and women veterans.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are post-9/11 veterans who are not currently engaged in VA behavioral health care, especially women and racial/ethnic minority veterans or those with concerns about alcohol use, PTSD, or depression.

Not a fit: This project is not aimed at non-veterans or veterans already receiving VA behavioral health treatment and may be less relevant for people without concerns about alcohol, PTSD, or depression.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to clearer ways to reach and support women and minority veterans who struggle with alcohol, PTSD, or depression but are not using VA mental health services.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked alcohol problems with PTSD and depression in VA-connected samples, but this longitudinal, mixed-methods focus on non-VA post-9/11 minority and women veterans is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Santa Monica, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.