Substance-Use and Psychiatric Disorders among American Indian Veterans

Abstract

Native American (NA) veterans have rarely been the focus of investigational efforts. We review studies relevant to an assessment of NA substance-use disorders, and discuss findings of the Drug Abuse Treatment Services Evaluation Project pertaining specifically to NA veterans. A larger proportion of NA veterans discharged from VA inpatient care in FY93 were diagnosed with a substance-use disorder compared to the total population of veterans discharged that year. Substance-dependent NAs were more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol-use disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder, and less likely to be diagnosed with drug-use disorders and other psychiatric disorders than substance-dependent veterans generally.