• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Saturday, July 26, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Health

Active military service in the US may reduce, not increase, risk of depression

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
May 30, 2025
in Health
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
ADVERTISEMENT
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

blank

In a groundbreaking observational study recently published in BMJ Military Health, researchers have uncovered evidence that challenges long-held perceptions regarding the relationship between military service and mental health outcomes, specifically the risk of depression. Contrary to prevailing assumptions that military experience, particularly combat exposure, increases vulnerability to depressive disorders, this comprehensive analysis suggests that serving in the US military may actually confer a protective effect against depression. The findings stand to reshape the narrative around military service and mental health, provoking renewed inquiry into the psychological and sociological dimensions of military life.

The study taps into data gathered from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), covering the period from 2011 through 2023. NHANES is renowned for its nationally representative sampling methodology, designed to reflect the broader American population across various demographics and health statuses. By analyzing five cycles of survey data, the investigators were able to rigorously compare depression prevalence among individuals with military service backgrounds to those without, while controlling for numerous confounding factors such as age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, and comorbid health conditions.

Central to the assessment of depressive symptoms was the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), a clinically validated instrument widely employed in psychiatric epidemiology. The PHQ-9 evaluates the presence and severity of nine hallmark depressive symptom domains over the preceding two weeks, rating frequency on a scale of 0 (“not at all”) to 3 (“nearly every day”). Clinical significance was determined using a threshold score of 10 or above, indicative of at least moderate depression requiring professional attention. This quantifiable approach ensures robust and interpretable mental health metrics, facilitating population-level comparisons.

.adsslot_hRdiDI64ob{width:728px !important;height:90px !important;}
@media(max-width:1199px){ .adsslot_hRdiDI64ob{width:468px !important;height:60px !important;}
}
@media(max-width:767px){ .adsslot_hRdiDI64ob{width:320px !important;height:50px !important;}
}

ADVERTISEMENT

Among the 25,949 survey participants, 2,407 individuals reported prior US military service. Statistical weighting extrapolated these figures to represent approximately 8.8 million military-experienced adults nationwide. The remaining cohort of 23,542 participants without military affiliation corresponded to roughly 89 million US adults. Depression, as defined by the PHQ-9 criteria, was identified in 2,548 respondents overall. The unadjusted prevalence of depression across the entire sample was nearly 9.5%, yet notably, it was lower—about 7.5%—among those with a history of military service.

To unravel the complexity behind these numbers, the research team employed multivariate regression analyses to adjust for a suite of potential confounders including demographic variables, income levels, educational attainment, marital status, and prevalent metabolic conditions like hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes. After rigorous statistical adjustment, military service was associated with a statistically significant 22 to 23% relative reduction in depression risk compared to individuals with no military experience. This protective effect persisted even after further controls were introduced for physical health comorbidities.

Examining the veteran subpopulation separately, the study found no significant difference in depression rates compared to the general population when unadjusted. However, refined analyses revealed that female veterans and those who were unmarried or divorced faced elevated depression risks. Conversely, high income and healthier cardiovascular profiles appeared to mitigate such risks. Interestingly, active duty status itself did not emerge as a significant independent predictor of depression, challenging stereotypes that ongoing service inherently predisposes individuals to poor mental health outcomes.

It is imperative to emphasize that this investigation is observational and cross-sectional by design, meaning causality cannot be definitively inferred. The researchers acknowledge that essential variables such as combat exposure intensity, length of military service, trauma history, and specific deployment experiences were not captured in the NHANES dataset and likely influence mental health trajectories profoundly. Furthermore, psychiatric outcomes are multifactorial, involving complex interactions between genetic predispositions, psychological resilience, social supports, and environmental stressors.

Nevertheless, the study authors propose that the structured environment, camaraderie, discipline, and coping mechanisms honed during military service may foster psychological resilience, potentially offsetting some traditional stressors associated with military life. This hypothesis aligns with developmental psychology theories positing that controlled exposure to adversity can stimulate adaptive growth when supported by protective social networks. The military’s emphasis on unit cohesion and identity formation might provide essential buffers against depressive symptomatology.

The findings also highlight a critical methodological consideration: prior research demonstrating higher depression rates in veterans has often been limited to healthcare system-based samples, which may be biased toward individuals actively seeking medical and mental health care, thus overestimating population prevalence. By utilizing NHANES, which samples the civilian community at large, this study offers a less biased lens through which to evaluate mental health burdens associated with military service, potentially reconciling conflicting epidemiological data.

This nuanced understanding invites policymakers, clinicians, and military leadership to reconsider strategies targeting mental health interventions within armed forces and veteran populations. It underscores the importance of tailored approaches that recognize variability in risk profiles linked to gender, marital status, and socioeconomic factors rather than blanket assumptions about service-related mental health impairments. Equally, it prompts further research into identifying protective elements within the military culture and training that could be leveraged in broader mental health promotion efforts.

In sum, this extensive cross-sectional study advances a compelling argument that, contrary to widespread belief, general US military service does not inherently increase depression risk and may, under certain circumstances, be protective. While it stops short of establishing causality, its breadth and representativeness provide a robust platform for re-examining military mental health paradigms and underscore the complexities inherent in understanding how service shapes psychological well-being across the lifespan.

Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Military service and depression risk among American adults: a cross-sectional analysis based on NHANES data from 2011 to 2023
News Publication Date: 29-May-2025
Web References:
NHANES: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html
PHQ-9: https://patient.info/doctor/patient-health-questionnaire-phq-9
References: 10.1136/military-2024-002932
Keywords: Affective disorders, Environmental illness, Environmental health, Government jobs, Warfare

Tags: active military service and mental healthcombat exposure and mental healthcomorbid health conditions and depressiondepression risk in veteransmilitary service and psychological well-beingNHANES data analysisobservational study on military and depressionPatient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9protective effects of military servicepsychiatric epidemiology in military populationsreshaping narratives on military servicesociological dimensions of military life

Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

Single-Cell Atlas Links Chemokines to Type 2 Diabetes

July 20, 2025
blank

AI Diagnoses Structural Heart Disease via ECG

July 17, 2025

Functional Regimes Shape Soil Microbiome Response

July 17, 2025

Stealth Adaptations in Large Ichthyosaur Flippers

July 17, 2025

POPULAR NEWS

  • Blind to the Burn

    Overlooked Dangers: Debunking Common Myths About Skin Cancer Risk in the U.S.

    62 shares
    Share 25 Tweet 16
  • AI Achieves Breakthrough in Drug Discovery by Tackling the True Complexity of Aging

    70 shares
    Share 28 Tweet 18
  • USF Research Unveils AI Technology for Detecting Early PTSD Indicators in Youth Through Facial Analysis

    43 shares
    Share 17 Tweet 11
  • Dr. Miriam Merad Honored with French Knighthood for Groundbreaking Contributions to Science and Medicine

    46 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 12

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Additive Manufacturing of Monolithic Gyroidal Solid Oxide Cells

Machine Learning Uncovers Sorghum’s Complex Mold Resistance

Pathology Multiplexing Revolutionizes Disease Mapping

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.