May 26, 2021

Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation in US Military Veterans with Histories of COVID-19 Infection

Category: Article Summary

Topic: Mental Health and Personal Impact

Keywords (Tags): mental health personal impact

• Veterans with a history of COVID-19 were more likely to screen positive for internalizing psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, and/or PTSD), substance use disorders, and current suicidal ideation compared to veterans without a history of COVID-19, according to a nationally representative, prospective cohort of 3,078 US veterans. In multivariable analysis, pre-pandemic psychiatric symptom severity and COVID-related stressors were the strongest independent predictors of internalizing disorders. Pre-pandemic suicidal ideation, greater loneliness, and lower household income were the strongest independent predictors of current suicidal ideation, while pre-pandemic community integration was associated with lower risk of suicidal ideation. These results may suggest that US veterans who survived COVID-19 may require focused psychiatric health prevention and treatment efforts.

Na et al. (May 2021). Mental Health and Suicidal Ideation in US Military Veterans with Histories of COVID-19 Infection. BMJ Military Health. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmilitary-2021-001846