The new year inspires new goals and mindsets. For veterans and active military Help Heal Veterans provides an opportunity for a resolution to promote the improvement of mental health through the use of therapeutic craft therapy. The HHV craft kits aid in rehabilitation, designed to restore coordination and impaired motor skills, improve attention spans and concentration, and relieve symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions. The kits are designed to give veterans a distraction from their physical and mental pain and allow them to live more in the present.

In 2018 HHV conducted a performance survey on how useful the kits were in easing the symptoms of multiple categories of diagnoses of which veterans may be suffering: Including physical pain, and cognitive behavior health, traumatic brain injury, and enhancing their overall quality of life. In total, 2,043 veterans responded to the survey, and the results were staggering!

Overall quality of life & Family

• Using the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) Scale, the highest percentage (32%) graded their improvement as 6 out of 7, which is "Better, and a definite improvement that has made a worthwhile difference" and the overall average was 5/7. This scale asks about their symptoms, emotions and overall quality of life

• 94% said the kits helped them have a more positive outlook on life

• 81% said the kits helped improve their relationships with family and friends

Physical/Pain

• 93% said the kits helped improve their ability to use their hands and handle small objects easier

• 89% said our kits helped relieve their pain. On average, there was a 39% drop in pain scale when using the kits

• 78% of respondents who had a physical injury or wound said our kits helped with their condition

Cognitive/Behavioral Health/Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• 98% said the kits took their mind off of problems

• 97% of respondents with behavioral health issues (PTSD, depression, anxiety) said the kits helped them feel better an average of 7 on a scale of 10

• 75% of respondents with a history of TBI said the kits helped them

There is no better time than now to initiate healthy habits that will have longstanding benefits - beginning with improving mental health. Help Heal Veterans has numerous Community Based Arts & Crafts Centers that allow veterans to craft with a group to create comraderies under the direction of Craft Care Specialists. Locations are available on the HHV website. If the listed sites are not reachable, HHV provides an at-home craft kit delivery service. The eagerness of HHV's staff to make craft kits accessible to all veterans reflects their mission- to reach more veteran patients, often introducing them to the healing power of the arts for the very first time.