Military Service Seems Not to Increase Risk of Depression

Among veterans, female gender, being divorced are risk factors for depression, while high income is protective factor

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Military service does not appear to increase the risk of depression, according to a study published online May 29 in BMJ Military Health.

Jin Mao Gao, from the Weifang Detachment of Shandong Provincial Corps in China, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2023 to examine the relationship between military service and depression risk. Depression was diagnosed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 scores.

The study included 25,949 participants: 2,407 with military service and 2,548 with depression. The researchers observed no significant difference in the prevalence of depression between military service and nonservice individuals in the unadjusted analysis. After adjustment, however, there was a reduction seen in the risk of depression in association with military service (odds ratio, 0.77). In subgroup analysis, the prevalence of depression was lower in the military cohort versus the general population among non-Hispanic Black individuals, married persons, high-income individuals and those without hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or hyperglycemia. Among veterans, female gender and being divorced were risk factors for depression, while high income and absence of hypertension were protective factors, in multivariable logistic regression analysis.

“The finding that being divorced is a risk factor for depression among veterans aligns with broader trends observed in the general population,” the authors write.