- Report reveals diagnosis of mental health disorders among active-duty U.S. military personnel increased significantly during 5-year period.
- Mental health disorders related to adjustment, anxiety and depression remain the most common diagnoses.
- Female service members were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at twice the rate of male counterparts.
Even as American military leaders position the U.S. armed forces to “fight and win our nation’s wars” amid global volatility, the mental health of men and women serving in uniform remains a critical issue.
Diagnoses of mental health disorders among active-duty military personnel jumped almost 40% between 2019 and 2023, according to a Department of Defense Defense Health Agency report released in December.
Over that four-year period, a total of 541,672 active component U.S. service members were diagnosed with at least one mental health disorder.
The DODs Medical Surveillance Monthly Report highlighting mental health disorders among active-duty service members comes about a year after the department reported that, in 2023, 523 U.S. service members died by suicide — an increase from the 2022 total of 493.
Caring for those volunteering to defend America remains a top priority, said U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
“Mental health is health, period. We must do more, at every level, to end the stigma against getting help. We all need counsel, community and connection. Reaching out is a sign of strength and resilience.”
Utah, of course, is home to thousands of men and women serving on active duty or in the reserves — along with tens of thousands of military veterans. Large local military installations such as Hill Air Force Base and the Utah National Guard’s Camp Williams offer a variety of mental health resources to assist service members and their families.
The message found on the HAFB site is one repeated throughout the U.S. military community: You are not alone.
New Year’s Day tragedies in New Orleans, Las Vegas
The DOD report was released shortly before two separate Jan. 1 tragedies perpetrated by individuals with military ties. Although it is still not fully known what role mental health issues played in either incident, they have prompted discussions on the well-being and mental health monitoring of active duty military members and veterans, alike.
In New Orleans, Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar was killed by police following a truck attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and injured dozens more. It is being investigated as a terrorist act, according to The Associated Press.
That same day in Las Vegas, Matthew Livelsberger, an active duty member of the U.S. Army Special Forces, took his own life with a gun in a rented Cybertruck packed with explosives shortly before it blew up outside of the entrance of the Trump International Hotel, injuring seven people.
Investigators said Livelsberger wrote that the explosion was meant to serve as a “wake up call” and that the country was “terminally ill and headed toward collapse”, The Associated Press reported.
On Friday, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh was asked if the military is doing enough to monitor the mental health of military members and veterans.
“We have a variety of resources available to our service members ... that include those resources available within the chain of command, (resources) available on base and, of course, we have the Military OneSource that’s available online,” said Singh.
The Pentagon spokesperson added, “You have to remember that the vast majority of men and women who serve in uniform do so every single day with honor, integrity and character — while upholding their oath to protect and defend the Constitution.”
DOD report: Anxiety and depression most common mental health challenges
Mental health disorders related to adjustment, anxiety and depression remain the most common diagnoses, according to the DOD report. Incidence rates for anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder increased substantially — almost doubling from 2019 to 2023.
“Efforts to assist and treat service members,” the report noted, “should continue to promote help-seeking behavior to improve their psychological and emotional well-being and reduce the burden of mental health disorders — especially as rates have been increasing since the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Between 2019 and 2020 there was a temporary decline in the diagnoses of most mental health disorders in active duty military personnel between 2019 and 2022, corresponding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. That trend among military personnel ran counter with national trends among civilians, which witnessed increases in adverse mental health conditions connected to the pandemic.
“That decrease may, instead, be related to service members choosing to defer care due to the pandemic, similar to temporary disruptions in routine and non-emergency medical care observed in the general U.S. population,” according to the report.
Overall, the Army had the highest rate of mental health disorders — although the Navy accounted for the highest rates of depressive disorders, bipolar disorder and personality disorders.
The Coast Guard accounted for the highest rates of acute stress disorders, according to the report.
Over the past several years, the percentage of adults in the United States with anxiety and depression symptoms increased significantly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Similar trends were observed among members of the armed forces.
In the general U.S. population, a significant increase was seen in the percentage of adults with anxiety symptoms (from 15.6% to 18.2%, respectively) and depression symptoms (from 18.5% to 21.4%, respectively) between 2019 and 2022, the CDC reported.
Higher PTSD rates for females, health care workers
No surprise, the PTSD rates for active duty military members “increased nearly six-fold” from 2003 to 2008, likely reflecting the psychological effects exacted by Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, according to the report.
PTSD rates increased in subsequent peacetime operations. From 2000 to 2011, PTSD rates were reportedly higher among men.
In contrast, from 2019 to 2023, the incidence of PTSD in (active duty) females was consistently twice the rate of male counterparts, while also increasing with age.
“These findings likely reflect the changing demographics of the force, now representing increasing numbers of women, and may also be related to sex-specific differences in comorbid mental health disorders that can predispose (military personnel) to higher PTSD rates,” the report stated.
Meanwhile, service members in health care occupations also represented high PTSD rates, “potentially reflecting the psychological stresses inherent to many health care roles in both peace and wartime operations.”
Despite the alarming increases in documented mental health disorder diagnoses, the report noted that it may actually underestimate mental health disorder incidence “if service members do not seek care or receive care.”
Another sobering statistic: In 2023, mental health disorders accounted for more hospital bed days than any other category — “contributing to over half (54.8%) of all hospital bed days among (active duty personnel).”
Promoting mental health care for those who serve
Last September, the DOD established a policy articulating its commitment to promote mental health services within the ranks.
“This policy emphasizes unrestricted, non-stigmatizing access to mental health care services, including voluntary substance misuse education, as essential for maintaining the health and readiness of the total force,” according to the report.
At Hill Air Force Base, the 75th Medical Group’s website reassures airmen that help is available. “The Military Health System has many resources available to help those who need it.”
Mental health service for active-duty service members served by the 75th Medical Group includes individual and family treatments, psychological assessments, medication management, crisis interventions and substance misuse services.
Members of Utah’s National Guard can utilize the “SafeUT National Guard” app designed to connect local service members with licensed mental health professionals.
“The SafeUT National Guard app provides a way for Utah Air and Army National Guard members, civilian personnel, and their families to connect to licensed mental health professionals trained to understand the unique challenges you face on a daily basis”, according to the SafeUt website.
Meanwhile, the Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource for all service members — including veterans and members of the National Guard and Reserves — even if they are not enrolled in Veterans Affairs benefits or health care.
Call 988 and press 1, text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net.