Negative Impact of Military Service on Women Veterans’ Mental Health Can Lead to Long-Term Poor Mental Health and Higher Unemployment Rates

Abstract

This study sought to explore the association between employment status, self-reported impact of service on mental health, and the current mental health levels reported by women veterans. Our team drew from data from the Service Women’s Action Network’s (SWAN) 2017 needs assessment survey, this study includes 1,294 current or former women U.S. Armed Forces service members throughout the 50 states and the District of Columbia. We explored demographic characteristics by calculating frequencies. A logistic regression analysis was utilized to explore research questions. For women veterans, ongoing poor mental health days per month was significantly predicted by the impact they self-reported their military service had on their mental health (OR = 8.744). Unemployment was significantly predicted by 10 or more poor mental health days in the last 30 days (OR = 2.246) and also by the impact service women’s military service had on their mental health (OR = 2.130). The findings show the negative impact that service women’s military time in service can have on their mental health. Moreover, findings suggest that this negative impact on mental health can carry beyond their time in the military, negatively impacting employment status. Understanding this can allow service providers to intervene and provide appropriate mental health care and programs to service women before the negative impacts of military service on mental health lead to other negative psychosocial impacts.

Keywords:

• Women veterans
• mental health
• unemployment

Acknowledgments

Research reported in this publication was completed using the 2017 Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN) Needs Assessment. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Service Women’s Action Network.