OBJECTIVES: We examined (1) mental and physical health symptoms and functioning in US veterans within 1 year of returning from deployment, and (2) differences by gender, service component (Active, National Guard, other Reserve), service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines), and deployment operation (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF]). METHODS: We surveyed a national sample of 596 OEF/OIF veterans, oversampling women to make up 50% of the total, and National Guard and Reserve components to each make up 25%. Weights were applied to account for stratification and nonresponse bias. RESULTS: Mental health functioning was significantly worse compared with the general population; 13.9% screened positive for probable posttraumatic stress disorder, 39% for probable alcohol abuse, and 3% for probable drug abuse. Men reported more alcohol and drug use than did women, but there were no gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder or other mental health domains. OIF veterans reported more depression or functioning problems and alcohol and drug use than did OEF veterans. Army and Marine veterans reported worse mental and physical health than did Air Force or Navy veterans. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing identification of veterans at risk for mental health and substance use problems is important for evidence-based interventions intended to increase resilience and enhance treatment.
OBJECTIVES: We examined (1) mental and physical health symptoms and functioning in US veterans within 1 year of returning from deployment, and (2) differences by gender, service component (Active, National Guard, other Reserve), service branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines), and deployment operation (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom [OEF/OIF]). METHODS: We surveyed a national sample of 596 OEF/OIF veterans, oversampling women to make up 50% of the total, and National Guard and Reserve components to each make up 25%. Weights were applied to account for stratification and nonresponse bias. RESULTS: Mental health functioning was significantly worse compared with the general population; 13.9% screened positive for probable posttraumatic stress disorder, 39% for probable alcohol abuse, and 3% for probable drug abuse. Men reported more alcohol and drug use than did women, but there were no gender differences in posttraumatic stress disorder or other mental health domains. OIF veterans reported more depression or functioning problems and alcohol and drug use than did OEF veterans. Army and Marine veterans reported worse mental and physical health than did Air Force or Navy veterans. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing identification of veterans at risk for mental health and substance use problems is important for evidence-based interventions intended to increase resilience and enhance treatment.
Authors: Jennifer J Vasterling; Susan P Proctor; Paul Amoroso; Robert Kane; Timothy Heeren; Roberta F White Journal: JAMA Date: 2006-08-02 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Susan V Eisen; Mariana Gerena; Gayatri Ranganathan; David Esch; Thomas Idiculla Journal: J Behav Health Serv Res Date: 2006-07 Impact factor: 1.505
Authors: Charles W Hoge; Artin Terhakopian; Carl A Castro; Stephen C Messer; Charles C Engel Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2007-01 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Charles W Hoge; Dennis McGurk; Jeffrey L Thomas; Anthony L Cox; Charles C Engel; Carl A Castro Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2008-01-30 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Alfredo J Selim; William Rogers; John A Fleishman; Shirley X Qian; Benjamin G Fincke; James A Rothendler; Lewis E Kazis Journal: Qual Life Res Date: 2008-12-03 Impact factor: 4.147
Authors: Isabel G Jacobson; Margaret A K Ryan; Tomoko I Hooper; Tyler C Smith; Paul J Amoroso; Edward J Boyko; Gary D Gackstetter; Timothy S Wells; Nicole S Bell Journal: JAMA Date: 2008-08-13 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Patrick S Calhoun; Amie R Schry; H Ryan Wagner; Nathan A Kimbrel; Paul Dennis; Scott D McDonald; Jean C Beckham; Eric A Dedert; Harold Kudler; Kristy Straits-Troster Journal: Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse Date: 2015-07-08 Impact factor: 3.829
Authors: Kelly Stolzmann; Mark Meterko; Christopher J Miller; Lindsay Belanger; Marjorie Nealon Seibert; Mark S Bauer Journal: J Behav Health Serv Res Date: 2019-07 Impact factor: 1.505
Authors: Sophie X Teng; Paige S Katz; John K Maxi; Jacques P Mayeux; Nicholas W Gilpin; Patricia E Molina Journal: Brain Behav Immun Date: 2014-12-06 Impact factor: 7.217
Authors: Anita D Misra-Hebert; Laura Santurri; Richard DeChant; Brook Watts; Michael Rothberg; Ashwini R Sehgal; David C Aron Journal: South Med J Date: 2015-08 Impact factor: 0.954