Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders in Elderly U.S. Military Veterans: A Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review

•These results further our understanding of the prevalence of mental health problems in older veterans.•High prevalence rates of substance and alcohol use disorders in older veterans were found.•Future studies with non-U.S. military samples using longitudinal design are needed to further understand...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American journal of geriatric psychiatry 2018-05, Vol.26 (5), p.534-545
Main Authors: Williamson, Victoria, Stevelink, Sharon A.M., Greenberg, Karla, Greenberg, Neil
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology
geriatric
Geriatrics
Humans
Mental disorders
Mental Health
Meta-analysis
military
Older people
Prevalence
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Systematic review
United States - epidemiology
Veteran
Veterans
Veterans - psychology
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Summary:•These results further our understanding of the prevalence of mental health problems in older veterans.•High prevalence rates of substance and alcohol use disorders in older veterans were found.•Future studies with non-U.S. military samples using longitudinal design are needed to further understand the prevalence of mental health disorders in geriatric veterans. Older veterans may be vulnerable to mental health problems. Meta-analytic and systematic review methods sought to determine the prevalence rate of mental health disorders in older military veterans (≥65 years). Eleven studies were eligible, and meta-analyses of veteran depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, dementia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia were conducted. Although conducted exclusively with U.S. veterans, high prevalence rates of substance (5.7%) and alcohol use disorders (5.4%) in older veterans were found. However, the prevalence of other mental health disorders, including PTSD and depression, in older veterans was not markedly high. The rates of disorder prevalence observed indicates a need for continued awareness of mental health difficulties, particularly substance and alcohol use disorders, in older veterans. In the future studies with non-U.S. military samples using a longitudinal design are required to further understand the prevalence of mental health disorders in geriatric veterans.
ISSN:1064-7481
1545-7214
DOI:10.1016/j.jagp.2017.11.001