This application is being submitted in response to NOT-OID-20-097, Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus and the Behavioral and Social Sciences. We are requesting an administrative supplement (PA-18-591) to expand Aim 1 of the parent NIAAA project (online survey of 1,548 veterans outside of treatment settings) by adding additional measurement waves to track changes in outcomes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary objective of this proposed mixed-methods research study is to leverage our existing sample of veterans in the community to examine changes in substance use, mental health, and social and economic health. We propose to survey and interview participants for 18 months after their initial survey, with three follow-up surveys and two sets of qualitative interviews to assess behavioral, social, and economic health to learn more about how the pandemic has affected veterans outside of VA settings. Findings from this study can answer essential questions to better serve veterans, such as how COVID-19 has influenced substance use, how veterans screening positive for mental health disorders have managed during the pandemic, and how changes in social and economic health, such as changes in relationships, job loss, loneliness, and perceived stress, have influenced changes in substance use and mental health symptoms over time.
Given the potential for veterans with co-occurring disorders to be significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to conduct research studies to better understand the short- and long-term implications of COVID-19 on multiple domains of veteran health. Aims of this study will be used to develop outreach, intervention, and policy recommendations to draw attention to the unique needs of the veteran population outside the VA that has been affected by COVID-19.
