According to a recent report from the Defense Health Agency, there has been a notable increase in the diagnosis of mental health disorders among active-duty service members, soaring by 40% over the last five years.
This information, featured in the December Medical Surveillance Monthly Report from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division, examines data collected between 2019 and 2023, revealing a steep rise in conditions such as anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Surge in Diagnoses
The alarming surge in diagnoses, which nearly doubled in this timeframe, cannot be pinned down to a single cause.
However, the report hints that the COVID-19 pandemic, which coincided with these years, may have significantly influenced this trend.
In 2023 alone, mental health disorders were the leading cause of hospitalizations for active-duty personnel, accounting for 54.8% of all hospital bed days.
These figures were extracted from the records maintained in the Defense Medical Surveillance System and the Theater Medical Data Store.
Key Statistics
From 2019 to 2023, a staggering 541,672 members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force received at least one mental health diagnosis.
Notably, nearly half of these individuals—around 255,000—were diagnosed with multiple disorders, culminating in a total of 966,227 individual diagnoses.
The report found that female service members, younger individuals, and Army personnel showed the highest rates of mental health diagnoses.
Among all branches, the Navy reported the most substantial cases of depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and personality disorders.
The data also revealed that female active-duty members were diagnosed with PTSD at double the rate of males, with diagnosis rates increasing with age.
This pattern may reflect shifting demographics in the military as the proportion of women serving rises.
The report also suggested that certain gender-specific factors could contribute to the elevated PTSD rates among women.
Addressing Mental Health Challenges
To promote the psychological and emotional well-being of military personnel, there is a pressing need for ongoing initiatives that encourage individuals to seek help, especially given the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders following the pandemic.
When defining mental health diagnoses, the report considered a variety of factors, including hospital visits, ambulance encounters, and outpatient psychiatric appointments.
Mental health disorders identified by the Defense Department comprise acute stress disorders, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and schizophrenia, among others.
The military continues to grapple with effectively addressing the mental health challenges faced by both active service members and veterans.
Federal census data reveals that the suicide rate among veterans held steady at 17.6% from 2021 to 2022, indicating that veterans are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide compared to civilians.
Additionally, suicide rates within the military increased by 6% in 2023, underscoring the urgent need for targeted mental health support.
Source: Militarytimes