The Development and Implementation of a Veteran Family Stress Screening Tool

Background/Objectives: Military and Veteran families face unique challenges, including deployment-related difficulties and transitions, mental health issues, educational setbacks, and more. The needs of Veteran families, specifically, are often overlooked and research among this population is insufficient. In an effort to promote the well-being of children of Veterans and their families, we developed a screening tool for identifying family needs and a workflow to implement the screening tool within the Veterans Health Administration. The objective of this quality improvement initiative was to then provide those in need with appropriate referrals and connect them to timely care. Methods: The screening tool was developed with input from key stakeholders and adjusted after an initial pilot. Screens were offered to all Veterans seen at the participating sites. Veterans completed the self-report screen consisting of demographic information and items regarding household composition, the quality of relationships with family members, and the Veteran's perceptions of difficulties experienced by family members. Descriptive statistics were conducted to summarize the data with regard to demographics, relationship difficulties, and related needs of Veteran family members. Results: Among familial relationships, Veterans reported experiencing the most difficulties with their partner/spouse as compared to other family members. Veterans self-reported that many of their children 18 years old and younger demonstrated difficulties related to learning, development, and behavioral and emotional concerns. Conclusions: More than a third of Veterans screened in this process requested further contact for consultation and referrals, and half of those were provided referrals. The development and implementation of this screening tool and referral procedure was successful in identifying needs and facilitating a connection to care that might otherwise have not occurred, bridging the gap between research and practice as it relates to Veteran family needs.