A well-documented increase in women in the US military is resulting in growing numbers of women seeking health care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). From 2000 to 2015, women veterans choosing to receive care from VHA nearly tripled, with 22% currently engaged in care. Among women VHA users in 2015, mental health (MH) and substance use disorders represented the third most frequently diagnosed condition; and women VHA consumers with MH diagnoses quadrupled from 2000 to 2015. Women veterans differ from men in important ways. Demographically, they are more likely than men to be young and single, and identify as a racial or ethnic minority. Compared to men, women veterans are also at increased risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), lifetime depression, and suicidal ideation. While nearly 40% of women veterans report military sexual trauma and over 50% report experiencing harassment during military service, women are more likely than men to perceive lower levels of unit support while in the military.
Access the full journal article in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
