Unwanted sexual behavior: improved guidance, access to care, and training needed to better address victims’ behavioral health needs : report to congressional requesters
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Contributor(s):
- United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, August 2023
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Government Regulation Legislation, Medical Military Health -- legislation & jurisprudence Sex Offenses -- prevention & control Sexual Harassment -- prevention & control United States United States. Department of Defense United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Why GAO did this study. Service members who experience unwanted sexual behavior-sexual harassment, sexual assault, and domestic sexual abuse-during military service may suffer from chronic mental health conditions. Service members who have such experiences are also more likely to separate from the military, exacerbating DOD’s critical recruitment and retention challenges. GAO was asked to review service member mental health related to experiences with unwanted sexual behavior. This report examines, among other issues, the extent to which (1) DOD and VA screen for and provide access to behavioral health care services for such experiences, and (2) such experiences play a role in voluntary and involuntary separations of service members from the military. GAO reviewed guidance, analyzed DOD and VA behavioral health care data and DOD separation data, and interviewed DOD and VA officials at the headquarters level and at a nongeneralizable sample of military installations and VA medical facilities. What GAO recommends. GAO is making 15 recommendations, 13 to DOD and two to VA, including that DOD develop guidance specifying how and when to screen for experiences with unwanted sexual behavior; consider how best to enable service members’ access to care related to such experiences at any VA facility, without a referral; and consider modifying its guidance to help ensure it fully considers potential factors contributing to service member separations. DOD and VA concurred with the recommendations.
- Copyright:
- The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (v, 166 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 9918681587706676 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918681587706676