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Some of the most significant advances in healthcare trace their origins to an unexpected source: Veterans. According to an Ipsos survey, 19% of Veterans participate in medical research, compared with only 13% of the general population. Veterans haven’t just participated in innovation — they’ve championed it, pioneering breakthroughs in VR therapy, psychedelic treatments, and other advances now transforming behavioral health care.
Veterans have been driving healthcare innovation for decades. In the late 1950s, Dr. William H. Oldendorf at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center laid the groundwork for CT scans and MRI technology. In 1960, researchers at the Buffalo VA developed the cardiac pacemaker, a life-saving device now implanted in more than 3 million people worldwide. In 1963, the VA performed the first successful liver transplant, an operation no previous patient had survived. This legacy of innovation continues today, with Veterans now at the forefront of breakthroughs revolutionizing behavioral health treatment for all Americans.
Perhaps nowhere is the Veteran innovation story more compelling than in extended reality therapy for mental health. What began as an effort to help combat Veterans with PTSD has evolved into a transformative treatment approach benefiting patients worldwide.
The BraveMind system, developed at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies, emerged from a pressing need to help Veterans for whom traditional exposure therapy did not work. The technology has since been distributed to over 170 clinical sites, with 76% of patients preferring VR therapy over traditional approaches. Today, 28 VA medical facilities actively use BraveMind to support Veterans experiencing PTSD — but the impact extends beyond VA walls.
In 2022, the American Medical Association approved the first billing and reimbursement code for VR-mediated therapy. The virtual reality therapy market is now projected to grow from $5.8 billion in 2024 to $20 billion by 2032 — while the broader VR in healthcare market is expected to reach $87 billion by 2032.
Veterans are also driving what may be the most significant breakthrough in mental health treatment in decades: psychedelic-assisted therapy. Veterans have become powerful advocates for these treatments, often travelling abroad to access them when domestic options aren't available.
Clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) have shown the treatment’s potential, with the severity of PTSD symptoms decreasing more significantly among participants who were administered MDMD-AT than for those who received placebo and therapy. In recent years, VA and other funders have continued to support research into the effectiveness and safety of using MDMA and psilocybin-augmented therapy.
Veterans are also pioneering other innovative approaches. Stellate ganglion block (SGB), a procedure involving an injection near nerves in the neck, has shown promising results for treating PTSD. In one trial, 90.9% of participants showed clinically significant improvement and 50% no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD by the final treatment session.
The success of Veteran-driven innovation isn’t accidental. Veterans can be ideal partners in developing breakthrough treatments — and intentionally including them in the innovation process can accelerate progress and improve outcomes.
Veterans represent a high-need population that drives the development of robust solutions. When innovators design for those facing the most severe challenges — where 38.5% can cease traditional trauma-focused therapy — they create solutions that work for everyone.
Furthermore, the VA’s unique position enables innovation at scale. As one of the nation’s largest integrated healthcare systems, the VA can fund, test, and implement new treatments across its network. This creates a built-in feedback loop with engaged users who understand the importance of their participation in advancing care for future Veterans.
As a recent example, VA recognized the need for innovation in suicide prevention and made a $20 million investment in the form of a grand challenge, Mission Daybreak. Understanding that innovations are only as good as their impact, VA has continued to provide funding to ensure Mission Daybreak solutions are tested and mature enough to benefit Veterans.
These realities create an extraordinary opportunity for behavioral health organizations — if they know how to authentically engage.
What this means for behavioral health tech organizations
Creating authentic partnerships with Veterans requires genuine collaboration. This means compensating Veterans fairly for their expertise, involving them throughout the development process, and recognizing their contributions publicly.
Common pitfalls include assuming all Veterans have PTSD or similar experiences. As we explored in a previous article featuring data from Ipsos, Veterans are incredibly diverse in their backgrounds, experiences, and needs. Successful partnerships recognize this diversity and seek input from Veterans across different eras of service, branches, genders, and experiences. Most importantly, innovators must shift their mindsets from seeing Veterans only as subjects to recognizing them as co-designers. Veterans bring problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, and networks that can accelerate innovation and adoption.
The future of behavioral health innovation depends on recognizing and harnessing the expertise of those who have faced the greatest challenges. If behavioral health tech organizations are to fully embrace Veterans as partners in designing the future of care, they can start by recognizing the Veterans they already serve. This means asking about military service during intake, creating advisory roles specifically for Veteran voices, and partnering with Veteran Service Organizations to understand unmet needs.
Join us at the Behavioral Health Tech Conference to learn how to better engage with Veterans as innovation partners. Visit this registration page to secure your spot at our panel discussion, “Serving Those Who Have Served: Innovation Lessons From Working With Veterans,” scheduled for Wednesday, November 12, 2025, from 3:15 to 4:00 p.m. PST. Use the code VETERAN25 for a discounted rate, courtesy of Luminary Labs.
Of course, these principles extend beyond Veterans. Any subpopulation with unique experiences can become powerful partners in creating solutions that work for everyone. When we design with and for those facing specific challenges, we create breakthroughs that transform care for all.
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