Gender Differences in Mental Health Diagnoses Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Enrolled in Veterans Affairs Health Care

Objectives We examined gender differences in sociodemographic military service and mental health characteristics among Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans We evaluated associations between these sociodemographic and service characteristics and depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnoses Methods In a retrospective cross sectional study we used univariate de scriptive statistics and log binominal regression analyses of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data on 329049 OEF and OIF veterans seeking VA health care from April 1 2002 through March 31 2008 Results Female veterans were younger and more likely to be Black and to receive depression diagnoses than were male veterans who were more frequently diagnosed with PTSD and alcohol use disorders Older age was associated with a higher prevalence of PTSD and depression diagnoses among women but not among men Conclusions Consideration of gender differences among OEF and OIF veterans seeking health care at the VA will facilitate more targeted prevention and treatment services for these newly returning veterans (Am J Public Health 2010 100 2450-2456 doi 10 2105/AJPH 2009 166165)