The prevalence of mental health disorders in elderly US military veterans: a meta-analysis and systematic review

Objectives: Older veterans may be vulnerable to mental health problems. Meta-analytic and systematic review methods sought to determine the prevalence rate of mental health disorders in older military veterans (≥65 years). Methods: Eleven studies were eligible and meta-analyses of veteran depression, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, dementia, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia were conducted. Results: Although conducted exclusively with US veterans, higher prevalence rates of substance (5.7%) and alcohol use disorders (5.4%) in older veterans were found compared to geriatric community populations. However, the prevalence of other mental health disorders, including PTSD and depression, in older veterans did not differ substantially from community estimates.Conclusions: The rates of disorder prevalence observed indicates a need for continued awareness of mental health difficulties in older veterans. In future, studies with non-US military samples using longitudinal design are required to further understand the prevalence of mental health disorders in geriatric veterans.