Self-Reported Lifetime Depression and Current Mental Distress Among Veterans Across Service Eras

Introduction: Limited research exists comparing the prevalence of lifetime depression and current mental distress between veterans and nonveterans by military service era. We compared the prevalence of self-reported lifetime depression and current mental distress between veterans and nonveterans of the World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Gulf War eras. Methods: Data from the 2012 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance System were analyzed for 243,561 survey participants aged 18 years and older. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were computed for each service era to estimate the association between veteran status and lifetime depression and current mental distress. Results: Lifetime depression was lower among veterans vs. nonveterans who served in the military during World War II era (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.43-0.66) and the Korean War era (aOR = 0.50; 95% CI = 0.42-0.59) but higher among veterans vs. nonveterans of the Vietnam War era (aOR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.43-1.73). Similarly, current mental distress was lower among veterans vs. nonveterans of the World War II era (aOR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.44-0.71) and the Korean War era (aOR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.37-0.60) but higher among veterans vs. nonveterans of the Vietnam War era (aOR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.02-1.28). Conclusion: Both lifetime depression rates and current mental distress differed among veterans compared to nonveterans within each service era. Understanding the burden of depressive disorder among veterans of all eras may facilitate efficient and effective treatment and allocation of mental health care resources.