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** RAND RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER MOST
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Nov 12, 2020
There's Help for Veterans with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
Having previously served in the Army, Dan Smee reenlisted with the National Guard after 9/11 and was deployed to Iraq. Once he returned home, he began to experience symptoms of PTSD. "The friends lost, the near misses, being blown up and shot at.... Things kind of unraveled for me," he says. To cope, he used Ambien and drank heavily. When Smee worked up the strength to seek help, he was told he needed to get sober first.
As the United States honors the service and sacrifice of veterans this week, it's important to recognize that Smee's experience is not uncommon. Thousands of veterans are battling PTSD or depression while also grappling with a substance use disorder. But RAND research finds that few treatment centers address these conditions at the same time. And among those that do, there isn't agreement about what good treatment looks like.
Fortunately, our findings also show that there are effective treatment protocols that can help veterans break the cycle. Smee received such evidence-based treatment and never looked back. Sober for 14 years, Smee now helps veterans who are working through the same problems he experienced.
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Be Mindful About Changing Psychedelic Drug Policy
Last week, Oregon voters approved a ballot initiative legalizing use of psilocybin - the psychedelic component of "magic" mushrooms - in a therapeutic setting. Californians could soon face a similar choice. But RAND experts warn that ballot initiatives are a poor way to set drug policy, especially for psychedelics. They're often written by people who prioritize repealing prohibition and generating revenue, rather than balanced approaches to regulating a drug's supply and use. If policymakers want comprehensive regulation of psychedelics, they may need to take deliberate action - and soon.Read more: [link removed]
Family Caregivers Should be Included in Health Care Teams
About 53 million people in the United States provide essential daily care for their loved ones. Unfortunately, they're too often treated as secondary members of the care team. A new RAND study examines the major barriers that prevent caregivers from coordinating with formal health care providers. Addressing these barriers could help boost quality of care and improve quality of life for both patients and their families.
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Online Shopping Habits During the Pandemic
At the start of the pandemic, a RAND survey revealed that most Americans hadn't changed their online shopping habits. But our follow-up survey shows that this pattern has changed, and online shopping has become more common as COVID-19 has spread. About 45 percent of respondents were frequent online shoppers in August, up from 35 percent in February. However, the new data also shows that, even though many households have pivoted to working and shopping from home, those in less-fortunate circumstances are spending less online.
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Another Record-Breaking Fire Season Shows the Need for Change
Thirteen million acres burned. Fourteen thousand structures destroyed. Three billion dollars spent on efforts to keep the blaze at bay. The 2020 fire season is the worst on record. According to RAND experts, the American West needs a comprehensive fire strategy if it's going to survive. What's lacking is coordination among the agencies and responders that battle wildfires. The current approach also doesn't account for complex drivers of risk, such as climate change, forest mismanagement, and aging infrastructure. Mitigating this risk will require intervention at every point.
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** TRENDING REPORTS
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Providing for the Casualties of War: The American Experience Since World War II [link removed]
The Internet of Bodies: Opportunities, Risks, and Governance [link removed]
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