Military-Related Sexual Trauma Among Veterans Health Administration Patients Returning From Afghanistan and Iraq

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 100; no. 8; pp. 1409 - 1412
• Main Authors: Kimerling, Rachel, Street, Amy E., Pavao, Joanne, Smith, Mark W., Cronkite, Ruth C., Holmes, Tyson H., Frayne, Susan M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Public Health Association 01.08.2010
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Afghan Campaign 2001; Anniversaries; Anxiety disorders; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Combat Disorders - epidemiology; Combat Disorders - etiology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Drug use; Electronic health records; Female; General aspects; Health services; Hospital administration; Human subjects; Humans; Illnesses; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Male; Mass Screening; Medical sciences; Mens health; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - etiology; Mental health; Mental health care; Middle Aged; Military; Military deployment; Military service; Miscellaneous; Population; Population Surveillance; Post traumatic stress disorder; Prevalence; Primary care; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; R&D; Research & development; Research and Practice; Sex crimes; Sex Distribution; Sex Offenses - statistics & numerical data; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology; Substance use; Substance use disorder; United States - epidemiology; United States Department of Veterans Affairs - statistics & numerical data; Veterans; Veterans - statistics & numerical data; Veterans Disability Claims; Womens health; Afghanistan; Iraq; Asia; United States; North America; America; Human; Imported disease; Patient; Sexual abuse; Military environment; Victimology; Veteran; Public health; Military
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.171793

We examined military-related sexual trauma among deployed Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans. Of 125 729 veterans who received Veterans Health Administration primary care or mental health services, 15.1% of the women and 0.7% of the men reported military sexual trauma when screened. Military sexual trauma was associated with increased odds of a mental disorder diagnosis, including posttraumatic stress disorder, other anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders. Sexual trauma is an important postdeployment mental health issue in this population.