A Longitudinal Exploration of the Effects of Military Service on Mental Health Outcomes of U.S. Veterans

In the United States, military veterans experience suicide rates 1.5 times higher than their nonveteran counterparts, indicative of higher levels of psychological distress. However, conflicting findings in contemporary research continue to dispute the directionality of the relationship between military service and mental health. Proponents of the life-course approach have pointed to the application of longitudinal data to better isolate the relationship, offering models through which negative experiences unique to military service can be identified and correlated to changes in mental health. Using data from Waves I and V of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), this study demonstrates that veterans are more likely to experience an increase in depressive symptoms over the lifetime compared to their nonveteran counterparts. While findings further support the use of longitudinal health studies in veteran mental health research, I suggest various mechanisms through which the quality of veteran-specific data can be improved.Bachelor of Art