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Well-being domains in U.S. military veterans: identifying modifiable factors to promote whole health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2024

Ian C. Fischer Open the ORCID record for Ian C. Fischer [Opens in a new window] ,
Peter J. Na ,
David B. Feldman ,
Alex H. Krist ,
Harold S. Kudler ,
Dilip V. Jeste  and
Robert H. Pietrzak
Ian C. Fischer*
Affiliation:
National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
Peter J. Na
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
David B. Feldman
Affiliation:
Department of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, USA
Alex H. Krist
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine and Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
Harold S. Kudler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Department of Veterans Affairs Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (VISN6 MIRECC), Durham, NC, USA
Dilip V. Jeste
Affiliation:
Global Research Network on Social Determinants of Mental Health and Exposomics, La Jolla, CA, USA
Robert H. Pietrzak
Affiliation:
National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Ian C. Fischer, National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA. Email: ian.fischer@yale.edu.
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Abstract

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is actively transitioning away from a disease-centric model of healthcare to one that prioritizes disease prevention and the promotion of overall health and well-being. Described as Whole Health, this initiative aims to provide personalized, values-centered care that optimizes physical, behavioral, spiritual, and socioeconomic well-being. To inform this initiative, we analyzed cross-sectional data from a nationally representative sample of primarily older U.S. military veterans to estimate levels of well-being across these domains, and identify sociodemographic, military, and potentially modifiable health and psychosocial correlates of them. Results revealed that, overall, veterans reported high domain-specific well-being (average scores ranging from 6.7 to 8.3 out of 10), with the highest levels in the socioeconomic domain and lowest in the physical domain. Several modifiable factors, including purpose in life, resilience, and social support, were strongly associated with the examined well-being domains. Interventions targeting these constructs may help promote well-being among U.S. veterans.

Keywords

agingmental health policyU.S. veteranswhole healthepidemiology
Type
Brief Report
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 36 , Special Issue 10: Issue Theme: Positive Psychiatry of Aging , October 2024 , pp. 979 - 985
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of International Psychogeriatric Association

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