A recent report from the Defense Health Agency said mental health issues will be the leading cause of hospitalizations for active-duty U.S. military personnel in 2023. The trend began in 2009 but has shown signs of improvement over the past three years.
A US flag badge is visible on the uniform of a female US soldier as she stands near a tank at the US Army military training base in Grafenwohr, southern Germany, July 13, 2022. (Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)
Mental health is the leading cause of hospitalization for soldiers
While musculoskeletal injuries remain the number one reason military personnel visit medical facilities, mental illness has become the leading cause of overnight hospitalizations.
Epidemiologists from the Military Health Surveillance Division analyzed all medical appointments and hospitalizations among military personnel in 2023 before arriving at these findings.
There were approximately 62,806 hospitalizations for active duty military members in 2023. Nearly one-third of these hospitalizations, or 31%, were for mental health treatment.
For men, the most common diagnoses were adjustment disorder and alcohol abuse. For women, the most common diagnoses were adjustment disorder and major depression.
According to the military, the median length of time service members were hospitalized for mental health issues in 2023 was five days, with some staying as long as 34 days.
Prioritize your mental health
The mental health of U.S. military personnel has been a top concern for the Department of Defense since the late 2000s, as suicide rates have risen among active duty military, as well as National Guard and Reserve members.
Prior to 2008, military service was a protective factor against suicide, and suicide rates among soldiers were lower than the general U.S. population. But since that year, suicide rates among military personnel have been steadily increasing, despite significant prevention efforts by the military and the Department of Defense.
Mental health plays a key role in the Department of Defense’s suicide prevention strategy, and researchers say understanding the range of mental health diagnoses and hospitalizations is essential to developing effective policy.
They stressed that accurate assessment of the military’s health status is crucial to predict health care needs and costs, prioritize treatments, and evaluate their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Of the 14 million medical visits and hospitalizations in the military in 2023, roughly 20% were mental health-related. That’s a 3% increase from 2018, which researchers say could be due in part to access to free health care and training requirements.
Nonetheless, injuries remain the leading reason service members visit a doctor: Injuries accounted for nearly a quarter of all medical visits by active duty service members last year, with back problems being the most common complaint, followed by knee problems and arm and shoulder injuries.
Sleep disorders were the fourth most common issue, with other musculoskeletal issues also common. Anxiety, unclear symptoms, adjustment and mood disorders, and foot or ankle pain made up the top 10 reasons troops sought medical attention in 2023.
The researchers noted the link between mental and physical health, especially when it comes to back pain, and recommended that military personnel adopt a holistic approach to treatment.
They called on military medical leadership to adopt a holistic, integrated health care approach that takes into account the unique health challenges service members face during training and combat, as well as the interplay between military and civilian health care systems, to better meet the needs of military members and veterans.
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