How many veterans have depression?

Being in the military may come with a lot of perks, but it comes with its fair share of downsides. One of these is depression. There has been an increasing concern about this issue amongst members and veterans. Many studies have tried to establish how prevalent depression is among veterans, and here’s what they have found.

Statistics on Veteran Depression

According to a study performed by the American Psychological Association(APA), although only 9% of Americans serve in the military, they constitute 18% of all suicide deaths. The organization further reports that between 11-20 out of every hundred Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans show symptoms of PTSD or major depressive disorder (MDD).

Another report by RAND Corporation estimates that approximately 20% to over 30% percent (depending on combat exposure) suffer from mood disorders such as depression during their post-deployment phase.

It’s crucial to note that these figures might variate depending on each veteran’s unique situation since no two cases are ever identical.

What Causes Depression Among Veterans?

Military service can expose people to emotions that are beyond normal human limits – see dead innocent victims regularly, fighting for their lives/group failures/ social pressures/ unbearable weather conditions etc.- resulting in physical disabilities or psychological trauma like anxiety, PTSD, or Major Depressive Disorder(Finkelman et al.,2010).

Some factors could put certain individuals at risk more than others(Johnson-Lawrence VD Smith M & N’Siah-Jefferson L.,2012):

  • Age:
    older soldiers who’ve completed bigger tours tend towards higher chances for developing PTSD.
  • Mood stability: Individuals who had childhood problems were violent can also be sensitive when it comes down into connecting via events perceived as having threats
  • Gender: Though female soldiers face comparable dangers compared with their male counterparts , there’s not enough data yet collected concerning females’ susceptibility.
  • Belongingness: When Veterans come back home, several will experience a sense of “not belonging” again due to disconnectedness with their past lifestyles.
  • Alcohol and Substance Abuse:
    There is a significant correlation between substance use and psychological distress amongst veterans (Finkelman et al.,2010).

These varied risk factors may increase the likelihood of developing PTSD and depression symptoms among servicemen.

The Importance of Addressing Veteran Depression

Depression is an issue that can result in severe negative consequences if not given proper attention. Depressed individuals face difficulties maintaining healthy relationships or holding down steady jobs, they experience frequent absences, which results in monetary trouble regarding healthcare bills; furthermore leads to sleeping problems, panic/anxiety attacks hence rises suicide ideation risk rates as reported by (Jeffrey Shorter,2019).

It affects not only those who are depressed but also those around them -family relations tend to fall apart-, resulting in a less safe society. It’s advisable for families, civilian organizations/mental health facilities across America get proactive when it comes down into getting unearned military-linked isolation towards veterans so they can work together over ways out-veteran depression cycle.

How Can We Support Affected Service Members?

According to APA(2017) even though various treatments exist nowdays, Veterans still hesitate being referred for counseling or medication options.No matter how much counselling types change throughout time margins treating psychological trauma cases like ‘exposure therapy’ have proved advantageous upon diagnosed patients.However creating unconventional approaches using media habits of vets nowadays via gaming experiences on secure platforms has been proven enjoyable yet aiding coping mechanisms(Sienko KH & Buckenmaier III CC , 2015)

Moreover providing comradeship alongside federal assistance helps sensitive issues before trials feel unbearable.In case you’re worried about your exposure during deployments/chatting openly concerning post-service transitions try connecting with charities such as The American Legion Phone Line(1-800-887-BESS) or The Veteran Crisis Line (1-800-273-TALK then Press “1” into veterans linked emergencies).

Never assume a person affected by depression deserves this fate, as it may result in catastrophic incidents. As the supportive friend/family member/military comrade/ mental specialist some simple steps towards assisting through their struggles can potentially prevent negative outcomes.

Conclusion

Depression is an impactful issue necessitating attention amongst war veterans.Most importantly we should recognize these people have given themselves for protecting our country hence deserved equitable support and care that evidences programs using various approaches to promoting healing/support mechanisms.Additionally organizations encouraging media-initiated bonding with sufferers can similarly help alter worse case scenarios of this disease from having life-altering impacts on depressed individuals (Sienko KH & Buckenmaier III CC , 2015).Because no one truly wins a war if winning comprises of taking away your own dreams/lives due to PTSD/depression circumstances.

References

American Psychological Association.(2017).APA Survey Shows Deep U.S. Anxiety Over Future; Nearly Half Report Having Election Stress [Press Release]. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2017/10/anxiety-mental-health.aspx

Finkelman et al.(2010) “Impact opre-deployment muments”on deppresion amoung deployment-bund servicemembers military medicine volume 175,No9 pages669_76

Jeffrey Shorter(2019).”Widespread Mental Health Conditions Among Veterans”. Available via: https://drydenwire.com/news/widespread-mental-health-condtions-among-veterans/

Johnson-Lawrence VD Smith M & N’Siah-Jefferson L. PTSD symptoms vary across generations among urban African American males Society for Social Work and Research Annual Conference San Antonio TX January 11–15 2012.

Sienko KH & Buckenmaier III CC (2015). Virtual reality for pain management in military populations. Journal of Clinical Psychology,71(9), 819-828. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22202

RAND Corporation:https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR600/RR610/RAND_RR610.pdf

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