Military Service & Depression Risk: New Study Findings
- military service may act as a protective factor against depression, according to a recent U.S.
- The study, using data representing 8,852,943 individuals with depression and 89,201,120 without, found an overall depression prevalence of nearly 9.5%.
- After adjusting for factors such as non-Hispanic Black ethnicity, marriage, and high income, military service was associated with a 22% lower risk of depression.
Military service might actually lower the risk of depression, a groundbreaking new U.S. study reveals, challenging what we thought we knew about veterans’ mental health. Researchers found a 22% to 23% lower depression risk among those who served, even when accounting for factors like income and race. This study,utilizing data from millions of Americans,including over 2,400 veterans,observed a surprisingly low prevalence of depression within the military cohort.The study’s findings at News Directory 3 suggest that previous research might have been skewed. Uncover more about the protective factors and the vital need for future research. Discover what’s next …
Military Service May lower Depression Risk, US Study suggests
Updated May 30, 2025
military service may act as a protective factor against depression, according to a recent U.S. study. The findings, which challenge previous assumptions, indicate that veterans may face a lower risk of depression compared to the general population after accounting for various sociodemographic factors.
The study, using data representing 8,852,943 individuals with depression and 89,201,120 without, found an overall depression prevalence of nearly 9.5%. Among those who served in the military, the prevalence was 7.5%. Researchers observed significant differences based on military service and depression diagnosis, including age, sex, race, marital status, education level, income, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
After adjusting for factors such as non-Hispanic Black ethnicity, marriage, and high income, military service was associated with a 22% lower risk of depression. Further adjustments for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes increased this to a 23% lower risk. Among the 2,407 veterans studied, 213 had a depression diagnosis.The unadjusted prevalence of depression among veterans did not considerably differ from others.
Female sex and being unmarried or divorced emerged as significant risk factors for depression after accounting for potentially influential factors, while a high income and the absence of high blood pressure appeared protective. Active service itself did not emerge as a significant risk factor.
Researchers caution that this is an observational study,and firm conclusions about cause and effect cannot be drawn. They acknowledge a lack of information on veterans’ combat experiences, type and length of service, trauma, and serious illness, all of which can influence depression risk.
“While the prevalence of depression is notably high among both active duty personnel and veterans, this large-sample cross-sectional study does not support the conclusion that military service increases the risk of depression,” the researchers said.
They suggest that previous research indicating higher rates of depressive symptoms among veterans might potentially be skewed due to samples drawn from health care systems, which may not accurately represent the broader community. The study utilized the NHANES database, providing a representative sample of the U.S. population.
What’s next
Further research is needed to explore the specific factors within military service that may contribute to a reduced risk of depression, as well as to understand the long-term mental health outcomes of veterans with varying experiences.