Military service and depression risk among American adults: a cross-sectional analysis based on NHANES data from 2011 to 2023.

Introduction: Depression is a common mental health disorder with high morbidity and disability rates. Military personnel are often considered a vulnerable population for depression, but epidemiological studies on the prevalence in veterans are limited. This study explores the relationship between military service and depression risk among American adults using a cross-sectional design based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011 to 2023.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from NHANES collected from 2011 to 2023. Depression was diagnosed based on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores. Military service status was determined by responses to the demographic question. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the association between military service and depression, as well as the factors influencing depression in veterans.

Results: After data cleaning, a total of 25 949 participants were included, 2407 individuals with military service and 2548 with depression. In the unadjusted analysis there was no significant difference in the prevalence of depression between military service and non-service individuals. However, after adjustment, military service was associated with a 23% reduction in the risk of depression (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.96). Subgroup analysis showed that, among non-Hispanic Black individuals, married persons, high-income individuals and those without hypertension, hyperlipidaemia or hyperglycaemia, the prevalence of depression was lower in the military cohort compared with the general population. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that female gender and being divorced were risk factors for depression among veterans, while high income and absence of hypertension served as protective factors.

Conclusion: Despite the relatively high prevalence of depression among active-duty and veteran military personnel, this large-sample cross-sectional study does not support the conclusion that military service increases the risk of depression. Furthermore, attention should be given to the depression risk among female and divorced veterans.