A retrospective study of anxiety disorder diagnoses in the military from 2000 to 2009

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe objective of this study was to describe trends in the diagnostic rates for anxiety disorders (ADs) types in the U.S. military from 2000 to 2009. Data for the numbers of diagnosed cases for the first documented occurrence of ADs during ambulatory visits while serving in the military were obtained from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database for all active duty service members and examined across branch of service and by gender. Results indicate that Anxiety Not Otherwise Specified (ANOS) was the most frequently diagnosed AD type in each of the 10 years between 2000 and 2009, with an average rate of 0.8 per 100 service members for first service occurrence, followed by PTSD at a rate of 0.5 out of every 100. Starting in 2002, the yearly first occurrence rates of ANOS and PTSD were significantly higher (p < 0.001) compared to each proceeding year, with the same pattern present among males and females separately. The majority of first occurrence AD diagnoses were diagnosed in the Army (47% of Anxiety NOS and 60% of PTSD cases) compared to the other service branches (i.e., Navy, Air Force, and Marines).

Quality of Life and Anxiety in Military Personnel

“…These findings were expected, given that those respondents have experienced stress and overwork for many years and have become worn out over time. This observation has been demonstrated in other studies (3, 26,27).…”

Hypertension at the nexus of veteran status, psychiatric disorders, and traumatic brain injury: Insights from the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

“…A large literature documents the negative consequences of some military service experiences on veterans' mental health. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression are relatively common among military service members and veterans [52][53][54][55][56]. The etiology of these mental health conditions among veterans is complex and multifaceted, but it is often linked to traumatic experiences during combat.…”

Psychophysiological Stress Status of Soldiers Prior to an Operative Deployment

“…Specifically, in the military field, it was observed that parachute jumping produces a large sympathetic modulation among paratrooper units [ 24 , 25 ], as well as in warfighters in asymmetrical combat environments [ 26 ], underground operations [ 27 ], special operation courses [ 28 ], survival maneuvers [ 29 ], or fighter jet pilots in combat flight maneuvers [ 30 , 31 ] and helicopters crews [ 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Chronic exposure to stressful events in military units was related to the prevalence of anxiety disorders and an increase in diagnoses over time in this millennium, with a prevalence of 0.8 per 100 service members for first service occurrence, followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at a rate of 0.5 out of every 100 [ 35 ]. In this context, the predominance of PTSD diagnosis has increased in recent years due to recent armed conflicts such as those occurring in Afghanistan or Iraq [ 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 ].…”