Journal article
Psychiatric disorders among older U.S. women by socioeconomic and veteran status
Journal of affective disorders, Vol.391, 120011
12/2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120011
PMCID: PMC12439202
PMID: 40782919
Abstract
To examine among women ≥65 years: [1] differences in prevalence and incidence of psychiatric disorders, including substance use and mental health disorders, by veteran status; and [2] relationships of individual and neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) with psychiatric disorders by veteran status.
A total of 42,031 study-eligible women ≥65 years at enrollment (1993—1998) from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) – including 1512 veterans – were evaluated for approximately 15 years of follow-up through linked WHI-Medicare databases. Multivariable logistic and Cox regression models were constructed for characteristics associated with prevalent and incident psychiatric disorders, respectively.
Psychiatric disorders affected a substantial proportion of women ≥65 years of age, with mood and anxiety disorders being the leading types of disorders. The overall prevalence and incidence rates of psychiatric disorders were 37.3 % and 25.5 per 1000 person-years, respectively. In adjusted models, frequencies of psychiatric disorders did not differ by veteran status. Also, lower education, household income, and neighborhood SES were related to higher frequencies of psychiatric disorders only among women non-veterans, whereas managerial/professional occupations were associated with lower frequencies of psychiatric disorders among women irrespective of their veteran status. However, interactions between veteran status and SES indicators in relation to psychiatric disorders were not statistically significant.
Disparities in psychiatric disorders by individual-level and neighborhood-level SES may be distinct among older women veterans and non-veterans necessitating in-depth investigation.
•42,031 women ≥65 years from Women's Health Initiative were examined.•Prevalence and incidence of psychiatric disorders were 37.3 % and 25.5/1000 p-y.•Frequencies of psychiatric disorders did not differ by veteran status.•Socioeconomic status was mainly related to psychiatric disorders in non-veterans.•Managerial/professional occupations were linked to fewer psychiatric disorders.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Psychiatric disorders among older U.S. women by socioeconomic and veteran status
- Creators
- Hind A. Beydoun - United States Department of Veterans AffairsMay A. Beydoun - National Institute on AgingLauren Hale - Stony Brook UniversityRobert B. Wallace - University of IowaSu Yon Jung - University of California, Los AngelesNazmus Saquib - Sulaiman Al Rajhi CollegesDorota Szymkowiak - United States Department of Veterans AffairsKaren Derefinko - University of Tennessee Health Science CenterAlan B. Zonderman - National Institute on AgingRobert Brunner - University of Nevada, RenoJack Tsai - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of affective disorders, Vol.391, 120011
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120011
- PMID
- 40782919
- PMCID
- PMC12439202
- NLM abbreviation
- J Affect Disord
- ISSN
- 0165-0327
- eISSN
- 1573-2517
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: 75N92021D00001, 75N92021D00002, 75N92021D00003, 75N92021D00004, 75N92021D00005
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) program is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through 75N92021D00001, 75N92021D00002, 75N92021D00003, 75N92021D00004, 75N92021D00005. The sponsors did not play a role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the article for publication.
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 08/07/2025
- Date published
- 12/2025
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology; Injury Prevention Research Center
- Record Identifier
- 9984946846402771
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