New Report: Women with Military Service Report Higher Rates of Depression and Suicidal Thoughts, Despite Better Overall Health
November 02 2017 - 10:15AM
Business Wire
Women who have served in the U.S. military are more likely than
those who have not served to report being in very good or excellent
health despite facing higher rates of mental health challenges and
chronic disease, according to the 2017 America’s Health Rankings
Health of Women Who Have Served Report.
These findings stem from an analysis of 23 health measures in
the newly released report from United Health Foundation in
partnership with the Military Officers Association of America
(MOAA). The report was developed in collaboration with an advisory
group of leading public health, military and veterans’
organizations, and establishes a national baseline and holistic
portrait of the health of women who have served in the U.S. Armed
Services. The new report builds upon the findings from the 2016
America’s Health Rankings Health of Those Who Have Served
Report.
Women Who Have Served Report Better
Overall Health, but Face Higher Rates of Mental Health
Challenges
Women who have served are more likely than those who have not to
report being in very good or excellent health – 56.4 percent vs.
50.8 percent. Despite reporting better overall health, women who
have served are more likely to face mental health challenges. For
example:
- A 16 percent higher rate of having been
diagnosed with depression.
- Nearly twice the rate of suicidal
thoughts in the past year.
- More than 50 percent higher rate of
mental illness in the past year.
These differences also vary by age as well as race and
ethnicity.
Women Who Have Served Have Higher Rates of
Chronic Disease Challenges Than Civilian Women
Despite reporting better overall health than their civilian
counterparts, women who have served have higher rates of several
chronic conditions, for example:
- Women who have served have 16 percent
higher incidences of arthritis, cardiovascular disease and
cancer.
- The prevalence of chronic disease also
differs by race and ethnicity. For example, Asian women who have
served are about 75 percent more likely to have diabetes than their
civilian counterparts (14.4 percent vs. 8.2 percent), while
American Indian/Alaskan Native women who have served are nearly 30
percent less likely to have diabetes than their non-serving
counterparts (10.6 percent vs. 15.1 percent).
“This report shows that women remain resilient after leaving the
military, yet too many face significant health issues directly
related to their time in service,” said Patty Horoho, CEO of
OptumServe, UnitedHealth Group’s military health services business,
and former Army Surgeon General and retired Army Lt. General. “We
owe all of our brave men and women who wear or have worn the cloth
of our nation our best efforts for their health, including
gender-specific research. The new insights gleaned from this report
demand innovations to address the unique, profound needs of women
who have selflessly served.”
“We need to do all we can to help improve the health care that
our brave women and men in uniform deserve,” said MOAA President
and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret). “The insights from
this report are critical to helping influence deeper dialogue and
compel action to better meet the unique health needs of uniformed
service members, veterans and their families, especially
women.”
This is the third time MOAA has partnered with United Health
Foundation to identify specific areas to improve care for the men
and women who have served, including a 2014 study on the readiness
of community-based mental health care providers to care for the
distinctive needs of veterans and their families, and the 2016
America’s Health Rankings report on the health of those who have
served.
To read this report and additional America’s Health Rankings
materials, visit http://www.AmericasHealthRankings.org.
About America’s Health Rankings and Health of Women Who Have
Served ReportAmerica’s Health Rankings, in partnership with
MOAA, released the Health of Women Who Have Served Report to
develop a holistic, distinctive study of the heath of women who
have served in the U.S. Armed Forces compared with the health of
women who have not served, by age group, and by race/ethnicity. The
report focuses on the health of women who have ever served on
active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces, either in regular military or
in a National Guard or military reserve unit. Within the sample,
the age distribution of women who have served and those who have
not was adjusted to reflect the U.S. population and provide
comparisons for the same age and demographic groups of both
populations.
The report analyzes 23 health measures from publicly available
data sources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and National
Health Interview Survey (NHIS), and the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and
Health (NSDUH). The measures include indicators of behaviors,
health outcomes, clinical care, community and environment, and
policy.
The research builds on the America’s Health Rankings Health of
Those Who Have Served Report released in 2016. That report examined
how the health and health care experiences of both men and women
who have served differ from their civilian counterparts across a
wide range of key health indicators.
For more information, visit www.AmericasHealthRankings.org.
About United Health FoundationThrough collaboration with
community partners, grants and outreach efforts, United Health
Foundation works to improve our health system, build a diverse and
dynamic health workforce and enhance the well-being of local
communities. United Health Foundation was established by
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) in 1999 as a not-for-profit, private
foundation dedicated to improving health and health care. To date,
United Health Foundation has committed nearly $358 million to
programs and communities around the world. We invite you to learn
more at www.unitedhealthgroup.com/SocialResponsibility.
About Military Officers Association of AmericaMOAA is the
nation's largest and most influential association of officers from
the seven uniformed services. It is an independent, nonprofit,
politically nonpartisan organization. MOAA is a powerful force with
members from every branch of the uniformed services, including
military active duty, National Guard and Reserve; National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration; and United States Public Health
Service; retired, former officers, and their families. Together we
work to ensure a strong national defense and represent the
interests of all uniformed service members, officer and enlisted,
at every stage of their careers. Learn more at:
http://www.moaa.org.
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United Health FoundationL.D. Platt,
202-413-7763ld_platt@uhg.com
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