SUBSTANCE-USE AND PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS AMONG AMERICAN-INDIAN VETERANS

Native American (NA) veterans have rarely been the focus of investigat ional efforts. We review studies relevant to an assessment of NA subst ance-use disorders, and discuss findings of the Drug Abuse Treatment S ervices Evaluation Project pertaining specifically to NA veterans. A l arger proportion of NA veterans discharged from VA inpatient care in F Y93 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 posttr aumatic stress disorder, and less likely to be diagnosed with drug-use disorders and other psychiatric disorders than substance-dependent ve terans generally.