Veteran and Service Member Mental Health Concerns and How Clinical Care Can Help 

Thrive • November 9, 2022

By Thrive Wellness Reno Therapist Samuel Hunt, LMFT and Thrive Wellness Reno Occupational Therapist Dr. Meadow Deason, OTD, OTR/L

Due to the extraordinary stressors they face, many veterans and service members suffer mental health concerns that can deteriorate the quality of their lives. Through clinical support, such as mental health therapy and occupational therapy, veterans and service members can find healing despite their unique challenges.  

THE MOST PREVALENT MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS AMONG VETERANS

Veterans and service members experience psychiatric disorders at significantly higher rates than the general population. One study of army soldiers found that nearly 25% of them grapple with at least one mental health concern.

Some of the most common mental health conditions among veterans and service members include:

WHY VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS FACE INCREASED RISK FOR MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS 

Reasons mental health concerns can be more prevalent in the military population include:

  • Traumatic events: During their service, soldiers may be confronted with extreme violence, terrible injuries, and devastating losses that can contribute to mental health disorders. 
  • Difficulty returning from deployment or transitioning out of the military: Service members may undergo a loss of structure, community, and identity as they return home from a deployment. Veterans may have similar and even more severe feelings when they retire from the military. This sense of isolation can contribute to mental health struggles. 
  • Reluctancy to admit they’re struggling and hesitancy to seek support: Possibly due to the persevering, accountability culture of the military, veterans and service members often refrain from acknowledging their mental health concerns. Not wanting to burden others, they may avoid seeking necessary professional help. 
  • The tendency for mental health conditions to compound on each other: Mental health disorders often co-occur. Conditions that commonly manifest in veterans and service members can be closely linked and exacerbate one another. 

HOW LOVED ONES CAN HELP VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL OR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Some ways loved ones can help veterans and service members with mental health issues include:

  • Offer to listen: Encourage their openness by listening without necessarily providing them with advice. A non-judgmental, safe, and welcoming environment for them to honestly express themselves can be enough. 
  • Help them find care. Support them in seeking clinical support and offer to help them find a provider that’s a fit for them
  • Seek help for yourself: Attending a support group for loved ones of veterans and service members can help you obtain more knowledge about your circumstances, provide you with comfort, and allow you to feel less alone. Additionally, seeking mental health care for yourself may be beneficial for helping you cope with any distress and provide you with skills to better support your loved one. 

HOW VETERANS CAN BENEFIT FROM MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH THERAPY 

Although many veterans and service members contend with mental health concerns, they can manage and improve their mental and behavioral health with clinical support . During therapy , veterans and service members can process their experiences, learn ways to cope with any inner turmoil, and improve their overall well-being. 

HOW VETERANS CAN BENEFIT FROM OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY 

Occupational therapy can also provide veterans and service members with support for many types of conditions including those that are: neurological, orthopedic, medical, surgical, mental, and behavioral. By helping veterans and service members develop skills to overcome any limitations, occupational therapy can increase their quality of life and empower them to fully participate in meaningful daily activities.

Types of specialized occupational therapy support include:

  • Assistive technology: Integrating certain types of technology that allow individuals to independently perform tasks. 
  • Cognitive rehabilitation: Rehabilitates and strengthens mental processes that may have been damaged from injury or illness. 
  • Ergonomics: Using modification and adaptations that enable individuals to effectively and safely interact with their environment. 
  • Falls prevention: Includes interventions such as strengthening muscles and improving balance. 
  • Hand therapy: Helps optimize the functionality of the arm, wrist, and hand.
  • Health and wellness: Encourages individuals to implement strategies that promote their well-being.
  • Home modification: Guides individuals in adapting living spaces to promote usage, safety, and independence.
  • Low vision: Includes interventions such as teaching individuals visual techniques and training them to use low-vision equipment.
  • Pain management : Includes interventions such as using safe body mechanics and proactive pain control.
  • Productive aging : Guides individuals in engaging in meaningful activities as they age.

THRIVE WELLNESS’ THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT FOR VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS 

At Thrive Wellness, veterans and service members have access to many integrated health services including mental and behavioral health therapy , occupational therapy , and physical health care . Our interdisciplinary clinicians approach client treatment collaboratively in order to provide well-rounded, targeted care. Reach out to learn more. 

While all Thrive Wellness locations offer interdisciplinary clinical teams who collaborate to treat eating disorders, perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs), and additional mental and behavioral health conditions, programs and services may vary by location.

About the Authors

Thrive Wellness Reno Therapist Samuel Hunt, LMFT

Samuel Hunt received his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Northcentral University and has specialized in serving the LGBTQ+ community for several years. He is passionate about providing gender-affirming therapy, care, and support to a population that is often underserved yet deserving of educated and professional health care as well as advocacy for equal rights.

As a marriage and family therapist at Thrive Wellness Reno, Samuel works with individuals of all ages, especially teenagers and those who identify as transgender. He takes pride in being client-focused as he wholeheartedly believes a client is an expert in their own life. With honor, he offers clients a safe space to express themselves and provides an outside perspective while guiding and empowering them to embrace their true selves.

In addition to traditional therapy, Samuel facilitates a transgender teen group in Northern Nevada and speaks at the University of Nevada, Reno’s medical panel each year to inform and inspire medical students. He is also a member of the Standards of Care Collective in Reno, which reviews the latest LGBTQ+ research and provides support to the LGBTQ+ community, including low-cost gender-affirming letters. Sam also volunteers his time with local charities, such as Our Center and Pride Reno, to help raise awareness about the health care needs of the LGBTQ+ community.

Sam is a military veteran and is currently serving in the Army National Guard while pursuing a degree in interreligious chaplaincy so that he can provide therapy to members of the military. In his spare time, Sam cherishes hiking, camping, and spending time outdoors with his wife and three fur babies.

Thrive Wellness Reno Occupational Therapist Dr. Meadow Deason, OTD, OTR/L

Dr. Meadow Deason earned her doctorate of occupational therapy at Huntington University and is a licensed doctor of occupational therapy (OTD). As an occupational therapist, she has extensive clinical experience in neurological and physical rehabilitation, fall prevention education, community-based services, home health, and mental health. Dr. Deason is also trained in oral motor function assessment, feeding therapy, therapeutic pain education, home modification, aging in place, brain injury rehabilitation, sensory integration, integration of primitive reflexes, neuromuscular rehabilitation, upper extremity rehabilitation, behavioral management, ergonomics, and mindfulness. She partners with individuals and their loved ones to overcome emotional, physical, and social barriers to holistic health through meaningful activities designed to develop, recover, modify, or maintain skills for thriving in everyday life.

Prior to becoming an occupational therapist, Dr. Deason gained years of experience in early childhood intervention, social services, treatment foster care, special education, and business.

When she is not helping her clients live their life to the fullest, she enjoys skiing, hiking, biking, and paddleboarding with her family.

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By Erin McGinty Fort, MS, MHA, CPC, LPC-S, CEDS-C December 18, 2025
Sometimes, people need more support, structure, and monitoring than the typical outpatient setting can provide. When this happens, the treatment team will usually recommend that someone be "stepped up" to a different level of care, or program, that can better meet their needs. I like to think of it as being similar to medication dosages; people need different strengths of medications, or dosages, to get better when they're sick. Stepping someone up to a higher level of care is like increasing the dosage of a medication to match the severity of their symptoms. How Are Higher Levels of Care Different from Standard Outpatient Care? At the core of differentiating higher levels of care from standard outpatient care is the intensity and structure of the treatment. Higher level of care programs tend to offer more days of treatment each week and more hours of treatment per day than in the outpatient setting. Those in higher level of care programs may also meet with their treatment team members more frequently each week. There are more staff present to support someone at or after meals and snacks, or to help those who are having urges to engage in compulsions or other harmful behaviors. Clients in our HLOC programs get access to an assortment of treatment modalities tailored to their individual needs, including personalized therapy sessions, group support, medication management, medical nutrition therapy with a dietitian, and check-ins with our primary care providers. We support clients with personalized treatment plans and regular assessments to monitor and tweak interventions as needed. Higher levels of care also offer increased peer interaction and support. Intensive programs incorporate additional group therapy sessions, which can help those in treatment feel less alone as well as create a greater sense of community. For some people, it can be difficult to devote the time and energy needed to recover while also balancing other responsibilities like school or work. Stepping up to more intensive levels of care allows people to fully dedicate themselves to recovery. As they get better and make progress, a person may be stepped back down to a less intensive level of care to start practicing their recovery in their usual home, school, or work settings while also receiving professional support from their treatment team. What Levels of Care are Available? At Thrive Wellness, we offer four different levels of care to help clients step up (or down) in their treatment when needed: -  Outpatient Treatment - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings with a therapist, psychiatrist, primary care provider, and/or dietitian. - Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) - A minimum of three hours per day, three days per week. - Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) - A minimum of six hours per day, five days per week. - Residential Treatment - Coming soon in 2026, The Greenhouse at Thrive will offer residential treatment for eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This level of care offers 24-hour support for those aged 12-24 living in our residential treatment center. How To Decide Which Level of Care is Right for You If you're unsure which option is right for you or your loved one, we offer a free assessment that can be completed with our admissions team. In this initial assessment, we'll gather information from you about what you're struggling with, speak with our team of providers, and then make a recommendation for what level of care we feel is the best fit for you and your needs. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, anxiety disorder, or other behavioral or mental health challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out. To get started with our intake process, give us a call at 775-525-8103 or fill out this form . We can’t wait to help you Thrive.
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Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.
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The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again. 
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