"Mental Health in Deployed and Nondeployed Veteran Men and Women in Com" by M. W. Hoglund and R. M. Schwartz
 

Mental Health in Deployed and Nondeployed Veteran Men and Women in Comparison With Their Civilian Counterparts

Publication Date

2014

Journal Title

Mil Med

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the mental health of deployed and nondeployed veterans compared with civilians, exploring gender differences. Methods: We sampled 41,903 respondents from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. Respondents self-reported how many of the previous 30 days mental health was not good; 14 days or more indicated adverse mental health. Results: Women exhibited greater prevalence of adverse mental health than men among civilians (odds ratio [OR] = 1.783 (1.653, 1.924), p < 0.001), deployed veterans [OR = 1.879 (1.019, 3.467), p = 0.043], and nondeployed veterans [OR = 2.621 (1.796, 3.825), p < 0.001]. Compared with civilian status, deployed status was associated with adverse mental health for men [OR = 1.361 (1.055, 1.755), p = 0.018] and possibly women [OR = 1.521 (0.930, 2.487), p = 0.095]. Compared with civilian status, nondeployed status was associated with adverse mental health for women [OR = 1.525 (1.152, 2.018), p = 0.003], but not for men [OR = 1.169 (0.943, 1.448), p = 0.155]. We controlled for age, general health, employment status, marital status, education, race/ethnicity, and state of residence. Conclusions: Adverse mental health affects male and female combat veterans, as well as women in noncombat military occupations.

Volume Number

179

Issue Number

1

Pages

19-25

Document Type

Article

EPub Date

2014/01/10

Status

Faculty

Facility

School of Medicine

Primary Department

Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention

PMID

24402980

DOI

10.7205/milmed-d-13-00235

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