Military Sexual Trauma and Menopause Symptoms Among Midlife Women Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Sexual assault and/or sexual harassment during military service (military sexual trauma (MST)) can have medical and mental health consequences. Most MST research has focused on reproductive-aged women, and little is known about the long-term impact of MST on menopause and aging-related health. OBJECTIVE: Examine associations of MST with menopause and mental health outcomes in midlife women Veterans. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. PARTICIPANTS: Women Veterans aged 45-64 enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare in Northern California between March 2019 and May 2020. MAIN MEASURES: Standardized VA screening questions assessed MST exposure. Structured-item questionnaires assessed vasomotor symptoms (VMS), vaginal symptoms, sleep difficulty, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between MST and outcomes based on clinically relevant menopause and mental health symptom thresholds. KEY RESULTS: Of 232 participants (age = 55.95 ± 5.13), 73% reported MST, 66% reported VMS, 75% reported vaginal symptoms, 36% met criteria for moderate-to-severe insomnia, and almost half had clinically significant mental health symptoms (33% depressive symptoms, 49% anxiety, 27% probable PTSD). In multivariable analyses adjusted for age, race, ethnicity, education, body mass index, and menopause status, MST was associated with the presence of VMS (OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.26-4.72), vaginal symptoms (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.08-4.62), clinically significant depressive symptoms (OR 3.21, 95% CI 1.45-7.10), anxiety (OR 4.78, 95% CI 2.25-10.17), and probable PTSD (OR 6.74, 95% CI 2.27-19.99). Results did not differ when military sexual assault and harassment were disaggregated, except that military sexual assault was additionally associated with moderate-to-severe insomnia (OR 3.18, 95% CI 1.72-5.88). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to MST is common among midlife women Veterans and shows strong and independent associations with clinically significant menopause and mental health symptoms. Findings highlight the importance of trauma-informed approaches to care that acknowledge the role of MST on Veteran women's health across the lifespan.

Association of Caregiving Receipt With Mental Health Utilization in a National Cohort of Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: There exist significant age disparities in mental health (MH) utilization, such that older adults, including older veterans, are much less likely to use MH services. In-home caregivers represent a novel, yet understudied, pathway to increase appropriate utilization. We sought to examine the association between receiving caregiving assistance and MH utilization and test moderation effects of cognitive status and depression severity in a sample of older veterans. METHODS: Cross-sectional, mixed effects logistic regression with moderation analyses was used with a unique data resource combining survey data from the 2000-2012 U.S. Health and Retirement Study with Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare administrative records. The analytic sample included N=1,957 Community-dwelling veterans (mean age 68.2 [9.7]), primarily male (96.5%) and non-Hispanic white (77.0%). Measures included MH utilization extracted from VA records or self-report; CESD-8 for depressive symptoms; and the Langa-Weir cognitive status classification using the modified TICS. RESULTS: After accounting for demographics, spousal caregiver availability, health factors, and socioeconomic status, caregiving receipt was associated with two-fold odds of MH utilization, compared to receiving no assistance (8,839 person-year observations; OR = 2.02; 95% CI 1.54-2.65) and remained similar following VA policy changes to enhance MH access. Exploratory analyses revealed that categories of cognition and depressive symptoms may moderate the association. CONCLUSION: Receipt of any in-home caregiving is associated with increased likelihood of MH use by older adults. Caregivers may represent an underutilized resource to reduce age-related mental health access disparities.

Comorbidity profiles in older patients last seen by mental health prior to suicide attempt.

OBJECTIVES: Suicide in late life is a public health concern. Determining profiles of psychiatric/medical comorbidity in those who attempt while engaged in mental health services may assist with prevention. We identified comorbidity profiles and their association with utilization, means, and fatality in a national sample who attempted suicide. METHODS: Using latent class analysis, all patients aged ≥ 65 from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services (2012-2018) last seen in mental health prior to suicide attempt were included. Diagnoses and attempt data were obtained from VA and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, VA Suicide Prevention Applications Network, and VA National Mortality Data Repository. RESULTS: 2,269 patients were clustered into three profiles, all with high probability of depression. Profiles included minimal comorbidity (50.4%), high medical comorbidity (28.6%), and high (psychiatric/medical) comorbidity (21.0%). Over half (61.7%) attempted suicide within one week of their visit. The class with highest comorbidity had lowest proportion of fatal attempts, while minimal comorbidity class had highest proportion. CONCLUSIONS: Older patients last seen in mental health prior to suicide attempt were characterized by depression and varying additional comorbidity and attempt-related factors. Findings have implications for risk assessment and intervention in mental health settings, beyond depression.

High Risk of Substance Use Disorder-Related Outcomes in Veterans Released from Correctional Facilities in Mid to Late Life.

BACKGROUND: Veterans Affairs (VA) is likely to encounter a growing number of veterans returning to the community in mid to late life following incarceration (i.e., experiencing reentry). Yet, rates of negative health outcomes due to substance use disorders (SUDs) in this population are unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine risk of and risk factors for SUD-related emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations (ED/IPH) and overdose death among older reentry veterans compared with never-incarcerated veterans. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study using national VA and Medicare healthcare systems data. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans age ≥50, incarcerated for ≤5 consecutive years, and released between October 1, 2010, and September 30, 2017 (N = 18,803), were propensity score-matched 1:5 with never-incarcerated veterans (N = 94,015) on demographic characteristics, reason for Medicare eligibility, and SUD history. MAIN MEASURES: SUD-related ED/IPH (overall and substance-specific) were obtained from in-/outpatient VA health services and CMS data within the year following release date/index date (through September 30, 2018). Overdose death within 1 year was identified using the National Mortality Data Repository. Fine-Gray proportional hazards regression compared risk of SUD-related ED/IPH and overdose death between the two groups. RESULTS: The number of SUD-related ED/IPHs and overdose deaths was 2470 (13.1%) and 72 (0.38%) in the reentry sample versus 4402 (4.7%) and 198 (0.21%) in the never-incarcerated sample, respectively. Mid-to-late-life reentry was associated with higher risk of any SUD-related ED/IPH (13,136.2 vs. 2252.8 per 100,000/year; adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.08, 2.30) and overdose death (382.9 vs. 210.6 per 100,000/year; AHR = 2.24, 95% CI = 1.63, 3.08). CONCLUSIONS: Older reentry veterans have more than double the risk of experiencing SUD-related ED/IPH (overall and substance-specific) and overdose death, even after accounting for SUD history and other likely confounders. These findings highlight the vulnerability of this population. Improved knowledge regarding SUD-related negative health outcomes may help to tailor VA reentry programming.

Advanced Research Institute (ARI): Supporting the Geriatric Mental Health Research Pipeline.

The Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Mental Health and Aging is a NIMH-funded mentoring network to help transition early-career faculty to independent investigators and scientific leaders. Since 2004, ARI has enrolled 184 Scholars from 61 institutions across 34 states. We describe the ARI components and assess the impact and outcomes of ARI on research careers of participants. Outcomes of ARI graduates (n = 165) came from NIH Reporter, brief surveys, and CVs: 87.3% remained active researchers, 83.6% performed scientific service, and 80.6% obtained federal grants. A population-based analysis examined NIMH mentored K awardees initially funded from 2002-2018 (n = 1160): in this group, 77.1% (47/61) of ARI participants versus 49.5% (544/1099) of nonparticipants obtained an R01. Controlling for time, ARI participants were 3.2 times more likely to achieve R01 funding than nonparticipants. Given the struggle to reduce attrition from the research career pipeline, the effectiveness of ARI model could be relevant to other fields.

A Paucity of Data on Veterans 65 and Older and Risk of Suicide: A Systematic Review.

Older veterans are vastly underrepresented in studies that shape national suicide prevention strategies. This is of great concern because factors that impact younger veterans may not be as robust in later life. Although younger veterans have higher rate of suicide, the highest counts of death by suicide are in older veterans. However, it remains unclear from the extant literature what factors may influence increased or decreased risk of late-life suicide in veterans. The objective of this systematic review was to identify risk and protective factors related to suicide outcomes (i.e., ideation, attempt, death, or suicide-related behavior [SRB]) among older veterans. Furthermore, it offers data regarding future study directions and hypothesis generation for late-life suicide research and for informing potential intervention and prevention efforts in this area. We searched 4 databases from inception up to May 5, 2022. We screened 2,388 abstracts for inclusion and 508 articles required full text review. The final sample included 19 studies published between 2006 and 2022. We found five domains of factors studied (i.e., neuropsychiatric, social determinants of health, aging stereotypes, residential and supportive housing settings, and multifactorial-neuropsychiatric/mental health and physical health) with more risk factors than protective factors reported. Across the three suicide outcomes only neuropsychiatric factors were consistently identified as risk factors. Neuropsychiatric factors also comprised the largest group of risk factors studied. More innovative targets to consider for intervention and more innovative methods to predict suicide in late-life are needed. There is also continued necessity to design suicide prevention interventions for older veterans given lethality trends.

A national population-based study of cannabis use and correlates among U.S. veterans prescribed opioids in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis is marketed as a treatment for pain. There is limited data on the prevalence of cannabis use and its correlates among Veterans prescribed opioids. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and correlates of cannabis use among Veterans prescribed opioids. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans with a urine drug test (UDT) from Primary Care 2014-2018, in 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. A total of 1,182,779 patients were identified with an opioid prescription within 90 days prior to UDT. MAIN MEASURES: Annual prevalence of cannabis positive UDT by state. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess associations of demographic factors, mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and pain diagnoses with cannabis positive UDT. RESULTS: Annual prevalence of cannabis positive UDT ranged from 8.5% to 9.7% during the study period, and in 2018 was 18.15% in Washington, D.C. and 10 states with legalized medical and recreational cannabis, 6.1% in Puerto Rico and 25 states with legalized medical cannabis, and 4.5% in non-legal states. Younger age, male sex, being unmarried, and marginal housing were associated with use (p < 0.001). Post-traumatic stress disorder (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.22, p < 0.001), opioid use disorder (AOR 1.14; CI 1.07-1.22, p < 0.001), alcohol use disorder or positive AUDIT-C (AOR 1.34; 95% CI 1.28-1.39, p < 0.001), smoking (AOR 2.58; 95% CI 2.49-2.66, p < 0.001), and other drug use disorders (AOR 1.15; 95% CI 1.03-1.29, p = 0.02) were associated with cannabis use. Positive UDT for amphetamines AOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.26-1.58, p < 0.001), benzodiazepines (AOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.31-1.51, p < 0.001) and cocaine (AOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.75-2.36, p < 0.001) were associated with cannabis positive UDT. CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis use among Veterans prescribed opioids varied by state and by legalization status. Veterans with PTSD and substance use disorders were more likely to have cannabis positive UDT. Opioid-prescribed Veterans using cannabis may benefit from screening for these conditions, referral to treatment, and attention to opioid safety.

Long-term Psychoactive Medications, Polypharmacy, and Risk of Suicide and Unintended Overdose Death Among Midlife and Older Women Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Rates of suicide and unintended overdose death are high among midlife and older women, yet there is paucity of data identifying women at greatest risk. Psychoactive medications, commonly prescribed and co-prescribed in this population, may serve as salient indicators of risk for these outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether long-term psychoactive medications and psychoactive polypharmacy predict risk of suicide and unintended overdose death among midlife and older women Veterans above and beyond other recognized factors. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study PARTICIPANTS: Women Veterans aged ≥ 50 with at least one Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinical encounter in FY2012-2013. MAIN MEASURES: Long-term psychoactive medications (opioids, benzodiazepines, sedative-hypnotics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and antiepileptics, prescribed for ≥ 90/180 days) and psychoactive polypharmacy (overlapping for ≥ 1 day) from VHA pharmacy records; suicide and unintended overdose death through December 31, 2018. KEY RESULTS: In this national sample of 154,558 midlife and older women Veterans (mean age 63.4, SD 9.3 years), 130 died by suicide and 175 died from unintentional overdose over an average of 5.6 years. In fully adjusted models, long-term opioids (hazard ratio (HR) 2.01, 95% CI 1.21-3.35) and benzodiazepines (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.82-4.91) were associated with death by suicide; opioids (HR 3.62, 95% CI 2.46-5.34), benzodiazepines (HR 2.77, 95% CI 1.73-4.42), sedative-hypnotics (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.06-3.29), antidepressants (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.03-2.12), antipsychotics (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.02-3.22), and antiepileptics (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.48-3.19) were associated with unintended overdose death. Women who were co-prescribed ≥ 3 psychoactive medications had over 2-fold increased risk of suicide (HR 2.83, 95% CI 1.65-4.84) and unintended overdose death (HR 2.60, 95% CI 1.72-3.94). CONCLUSIONS: Long-term psychoactive medications and psychoactive medication polypharmacy were important indicators of risk for death by suicide and death by unintended overdose among midlife and older women Veterans, even after accounting for psychiatric and substance use disorders.

Incidence of Severe COVID-19 Illness Following Vaccination and Booster With BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S Vaccines.

Importance: Evidence describing the incidence of severe COVID-19 illness following vaccination and booster with BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S vaccines is needed, particularly for high-risk populations. Objective: To describe the incidence of severe COVID-19 illness among a cohort that received vaccination plus a booster vaccine dose. Design, Setting, and Participants: Retrospective cohort study of adults receiving care at Veterans Health Administration facilities across the US who received a vaccination series plus 1 booster against SARS-CoV-2, conducted from July 1, 2021, to May 30, 2022. Patients were eligible if they had received a primary care visit in the prior 2 years and had documented receipt of all US Food and Drug Administration-authorized doses of the initial mRNA vaccine or viral vector vaccination series after December 11, 2020, and a subsequent documented booster dose between July 1, 2021, and April 29, 2022. The analytic cohort consisted of 1 610 719 participants. Exposures: Receipt of any combination of mRNA-1273 (Moderna), BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), and Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen/Johnson & Johnson) primary vaccination series and a booster dose. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes were breakthrough COVID-19 (symptomatic infection), hospitalization with COVID-19 pneumonia and/or death, and hospitalization with severe COVID-19 pneumonia and/or death. A subgroup analysis of nonoverlapping populations included those aged 65 years or older, those with high-risk comorbid conditions, and those with immunocompromising conditions. Results: Of 1 610 719 participants, 1 100 280 (68.4%) were aged 65 years or older and 132 243 (8.2%) were female; 1 133 785 (70.4%) had high-risk comorbid conditions, 155 995 (9.6%) had immunocompromising conditions, and 1 467 879 (91.1%) received the same type of mRNA vaccine (initial series and booster). Over 24 weeks, 125.0 (95% CI, 123.3-126.8) per 10 000 persons had breakthrough COVID-19, 8.9 (95% CI, 8.5-9.4) per 10 000 persons were hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia or died, and 3.4 (95% CI, 3.1-3.7) per 10 000 persons were hospitalized with severe pneumonia or died. For high-risk populations, incidence of hospitalization with COVID-19 pneumonia or death was as follows: aged 65 years or older, 1.9 (95% CI, 1.4-2.6) per 10 000 persons; high-risk comorbid conditions, 6.7 (95% CI, 6.2-7.2) per 10 000 persons; and immunocompromising conditions, 39.6 (95% CI, 36.6-42.9) per 10 000 persons. Subgroup analyses of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia or death by time after booster demonstrated similar incidence estimates among those aged 65 years or older and with high-risk comorbid conditions but not among those with immunocompromising conditions. Conclusions and Relevance: In a US cohort of patients receiving care at Veterans Health Administration facilities during a period of Delta and Omicron variant predominance, there was a low incidence of hospitalization with COVID-19 pneumonia or death following vaccination and booster with any of BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, or Ad26.COV2.S vaccines.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Suicide in a National Sample of Midlife and Older Women Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Among midlife and older women, menopause symptoms and menopausal hormone therapy have been linked to mental health disorders and other comorbidities related to suicide. However, the role of hormone therapy as a prognostic factor of suicide risk is largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between menopausal hormone therapy, suicide attempts, and suicide among midlife and older women Veterans. RESEARCH DESIGN: In this longitudinal analysis of national Veterans Health Administration data from women Veterans aged 50 years and above, we used Fine-Gray proportional hazards models to examine associations between menopausal hormone therapy (prescribed in 2012-2013) and incident suicide attempts and suicide (index date-2016). MEASURES: Menopausal hormone therapy and psychoactive medications from pharmacy records; suicide attempts and suicide from national suicide data repositories; demographic variables, medical and psychiatric diagnoses, and substance use disorders from electronic medical record data and International Classification Diagnoses-9-CM codes. RESULTS: In this national sample of 291,709 women Veterans (mean age 60.47, SD 9.81), 6% were prescribed menopausal hormone therapy at baseline. Over an average of 4.5 years, 2673 had an incident suicide attempt (93%) or death by suicide (7%). Adjusting for age, race, and medical diagnoses, menopausal hormone therapy was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt (hazard ratio 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.22-1.64) and over 2-fold increased risk of death by suicide (hazard ratio 2.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.58-3.87). Associations with death by suicide remained significant after accounting for psychiatric comorbidity and psychoactive medications. CONCLUSIONS: Menopausal hormone therapy may be an important indicator of suicide risk among midlife and older women.

Examining the association of social risk with heart failure readmission in the Veterans Health Administration.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has found that social risk factors are associated with an increased risk of 30-day readmission. We aimed to assess the association of 5 social risk factors (living alone, lack of social support, marginal housing, substance abuse, and low income) with 30-day Heart Failure (HF) hospital readmissions within the Veterans Health Affairs (VA) and the impact of their inclusion on hospital readmission model performance. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study using chart review and VA and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrative data from a random sample of 1,500 elderly (≥ 65 years) Veterans hospitalized for HF in 2012. Using logistic regression, we examined whether any of the social risk factors were associated with 30-day readmission after adjusting for age alone and clinical variables used by CMS in its 30-day risk stratified readmission model. The impact of these five social risk factors on readmission model performance was assessed by comparing c-statistics, likelihood ratio tests, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic. RESULTS: The prevalence varied among the 5 risk factors; low income (47 % vs. 47 %), lives alone (18 % vs. 19 %), substance abuse (14 % vs. 16 %), lacks social support (2 % vs. <1 %), and marginal housing (< 1 % vs. 3 %) among readmitted and non-readmitted patients, respectively. Controlling for clinical factors contained in CMS readmission models, a lack of social support was found to be associated with an increased risk of 30-day readmission (OR 4.8, 95 %CI 1.35-17.88), while marginal housing was noted to decrease readmission risk (OR 0.21, 95 %CI 0.03-0.87). Living alone (OR: 0.9, 95 %CI 0.64-1.26), substance abuse (OR 0.91, 95 %CI 0.67-1.22), and having low income (OR 1.01, 95 %CI 0.77-1.31) had no association with HF readmissions. Adding the five social risk factors to a CMS-based model (age and comorbid conditions; c-statistic 0.62) did not improve model performance (c-statistic: 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: While a lack of social support was associated with 30-day readmission in the VA, its prevalence was low. Moreover, the inclusion of some social risk factors did not improve readmission model performance. In an integrated healthcare system like the VA, social risk factors may have a limited effect on 30-day readmission outcomes.

A national study of TBI and risk of suicide and unintended death by overdose and firearms.

Objective: Evidence guiding suicide-prevention efforts in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is imperative. We evaluated association between TBI and risk of death by drug overdose and firearms, including suicide and unintentional injury.Methods: Cohort study of all patients 18 years and older in Veterans Health Administration databases from October 1, 2001 to December 31, 2014 with TBI diagnosis (N = 230,200), and age-matched 1:1 to random sample of patients without TBI (N = 230,200).Results: After adjusting for demographics, comorbidities, and accounting for competing risk of other deaths, hazard ratios for death by drug overdose were 1.40 (95% CI = 1.21-1.62) for mild TBI and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.31-1.74) for moderate-to-severe TBI, while hazard ratios for death by firearms were 1.09 (95% CI = 0.89-1.33) for mild TBI and 1.33 (95% CI = 1.10-1.60) for moderate-to-severe TBI. Risk of overdose death due to TBI severity was mainly observed for middle and older age groups.Conclusions: Findings suggest that veterans with mild and moderate-to-severe TBI are at increased risk of death by drug overdose and firearms, with overdose risk heightened with age. Data indicate that prevention efforts in patients with TBI include targeted means reduction.

High Occurrence of Psychiatric Disorders and Suicidal Behavior Across Dementia Subtypes.

OBJECTIVE: To compare occurrence of clinically diagnosed psychiatric disorders and suicidal behavior (mental health disorders) across dementia subtypes in the largest healthcare system in the United States. METHODS: We aggregated two national databases (Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] National Patient Care Database, National Suicide Prevention Applications Network [SPAN]) and estimated 2-year prevalence of mental health disorders across five dementia subtypes during fiscal years 2012-2013. Using VA healthcare systems throughout the United States, the sample included 56,296 older patients (≥50 years) with Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 30,578), vascular dementia (VD; n = 17,924), frontotemporal dementia (FTD; n = 1,181), Lewy body dementia (LBD; n = 3,194), and mixed dementia (MD; n = 3,419). Mental health disorders were determined by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes and the National SPAN. RESULTS: Roughly 25% of patients had at least one mental health disorder, with 2-year prevalence reaching 30%-45% in FTD, VD, LBD, and MD. Compared with other subtypes, patients with FTD had the highest prevalence of mood (19%), anxiety (20%), and substance use (19%) disorders, as well as suicidal behavior (4%), with nearly 0.5% with a suicidal plan/attempt. Those with VD also showed a high prevalence of these disorders (14%-17%). Although patients with LBD and MD had a slightly lower prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders (12%-15%), they had a much lower prevalence of substance use disorders (9%) and suicidal behavior (2%). Patients with AD had the lowest 2-year prevalence of all mental health disorders (<7%). CONCLUSION: Occurrence of mental health disorders is high and differs across dementia subtypes, highlighting the importance of reducing the burden of mental health disorders in dementia subtypes.

Gender Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Related to Diabetes and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

OBJECTIVES: To examine relationships between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among older men and women. METHODS: In a national retrospective cohort study of Veterans aged ≥55 (n=2,789,264, 6% female), associations between PTSD and diabetes (2008-2011) and incident CVD (2012-2015) were assessed with gender-stratified Fine-Gray proportional hazard models, adjusted for demographics and medical comorbidities. RESULTS: Incident CVD was observed in 22% of men and 12% of women, and related to PTSD (men HR=1.05, 95% CI=1.04-1.06, Wald χ2=80.46, df=1, p<.001; women HR=1.47, 95% CI=1.38-1.57, Wald χ2=148.60, df=1, p<.001), diabetes (men HR=1.34, 95% CI=1.34-1.35, Wald χ2=9177.64, df=1, p<.001; women HR=1.49, 95% CI=1.44-1.55, Wald χ2=419.02, df=1, p<.001), and comorbid PTSD-diabetes (men HR=1.50, 95% CI=1.48-1.52, Wald χ2=4180.92, df=1, p<.001; women HR=1.96, 95% CI=1.80-2.12, Wald χ2=257.28, df=1, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: CVD risk was increased with PTSD and diabetes, and strongly increased with comorbid PTSD-diabetes. Among women, PTSD and diabetes conferred equivalent CVD risk.

Increased Risk of Suicide Attempts and Unintended Death Among Those Transitioning From Prison to Community in Later Life.

OBJECTIVE: The number of individuals transitioning from correctional facilities to community in later life (age ≥50 ) is increasing. We sought to determine if later-life prison release is a risk factor for suicidal behavior and death by accidental injury, including drug overdose. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Medicare healthcare systems, 2012-2014. PARTICIPANTS: Veterans age ≥50 released from correctional facilities (N = 7,671 re-entry veterans) and those never incarcerated (N = 7,671). METHODS: Dates of suicide attempt and cause-specific mortality defined using the National Suicide Prevention Applications Network and the National Suicide Data Repository, respectively. RESULTS: Later-life prison release was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt (599.7 versus 134.7 per 100,000 per year; adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 3.45; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.24-5.32; p < 0.001, Wald χ2 = 31.58, degrees of freedom [df] = 1), death by drug overdose (121.7 versus 43.5; adjusted HR 3.45; 95% CI 1.37-8.73; p = 0.009, Wald χ2 = 6.86, df = 1), and other accidental injury (126.0 versus 39.1; adjusted HR 3.13; 95% CI 1.28-7.69; p = 0.013, Wald χ2 = 6.25, df = 1), adjusting for homelessness, traumatic brain injury, medical and psychiatric conditions, and accounting for competing risk of other deaths. Suicide mortality rates were observed as nonsignificant between re-entry veterans and those never incarcerated (30.4 versus 17.4, respectively; adjusted HR 2.40; 95% CI 0.51-11.24; p = 0.266, Wald χ2 = 1.23, df = 1). CONCLUSION: Older re-entry veterans are at considerable risk of attempting suicide and dying by drug overdose or other accidental injury. This study highlights importance of prevention and intervention efforts targeting later-life prison-to-community care transitions.

Do postconcussive symptoms from traumatic brain injury in combat veterans predict risk for receiving opioid therapy for chronic pain?

OBJECTIVES: Opioid therapy is contraindicated in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) with neuropsychological impairment, yet guidelines do not consistently predict practice. We evaluated independent risk for initiation of opioid therapy among combat veterans with chronic pain diagnoses and persistent postconcussive symptoms. METHODS: We assembled a retrospective cohort of 53 124 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare between October 2007 and March 2015 who received chronic pain diagnoses, completed a Comprehensive TBI Evaluation (CTBIE) and had not received opioid therapy in the prior year. Primary exposure variables were self-reported severe or very severe Emotional, Vestibular, Cognitive and Somatic/Sensory symptoms measured using the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. Outcome measures were initiation of short-term and long-term opioid therapy within the year following CTBIE. RESULTS: Self-reported severe and very severe postconcussive symptoms predicted initiation of long-term and short-term opioid use for chronic pain in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses. In adjusted analyses, all four postconcussive symptom domains significantly predicted initiation of long-term opioid therapy, with Emotional symptoms being the strongest predictor [ARR = 1.68 (1.52, 1.86)]. CONCLUSIONS: Increased opioid prescribing in veterans with self-reported severe persistent postconcussive symptoms indicates a need to educate prescribers and make non-opioid pain management options available for veterans with TBI and neuropsychological sequelae.

Predictors of Mental Health Services Use Across the Life Course among Racially-Ethnically Diverse Adults.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about key factors associated with use of mental health services across the life course. This study determined key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors of services use in younger, middle, and older age. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS: The sample included 3,708 adults with DSM-IV-based mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys. Key predictors of mental health services use for each age group were systematically determined by multivariable models, and exploratory analyses examining potential effect modification by race-ethnicity and sex were assessed by interaction terms. Statistical analyses included complex design-corrected and weighted logistic regression analyses that provide results generalizable to the United States. RESULTS: Psychiatric and medical issues such as prior suicidal behavior, comorbid psychiatric disorders, and perceived cognitive impairment increased odds of mental health services use in younger, middle, and older age. Chronic medical conditions also influenced services use in younger and older age, with their impact on use across age potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction = 0.01). Moreover, socioeconomic factors like marital status influenced use in middle and older age, where being divorced, separated, widowed, or never married encouraged use. The effect of marital status on use across age was also potentially modified by racial-ethnic disparities (p interaction = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Key socioeconomic, social support, psychiatric, and medical predictors uniquely influence use of mental health services across the life course. These findings will help inform efforts to encourage greater services use by adults across the life course in need of care.

Association of Traumatic Brain Injury With Chronic Pain in Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans: Effect of Comorbid Mental Health Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the association between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic pain and pain disability in the context of comorbid conditions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression to better inform care of combat veterans. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Medical centers and community clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Combat veterans (N=116,913) who received Veterans Affairs care between October 1, 2007 and March 31, 2015, completed a Comprehensive Traumatic Brain Injury Evaluation, and received a criterion standard diagnosis of TBI (none, mild, or moderate to severe). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Chronic pain defined as ≥2 of the same pain diagnoses ≥90 days apart and pain disability defined as self-reported pain causing moderate to very severe interference with daily functioning. RESULTS: Fifty-seven percent received ≥1 chronic pain diagnosis. Compared to those with no TBI, PTSD, or depression, there was an independent risk for chronic pain in veterans with mild TBI, which was higher in veterans with moderate to severe TBI. The risk of chronic pain was additive and highest when all 3 conditions-TBI, depression, and PTSD-were copresent (adjusted relative risk, 1.53 and 1.62 [95% confidence interval, 1.50-1.66] for mild and moderate or severe TBI, respectively, plus other diagnoses). The relation of pain disability to TBI, PTSD, and depression followed a similar additive pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In combat veterans, chronic pain and pain disability are most commonly associated with TBI in conjunction with PTSD, depression, or both. Integrated models of care that simultaneously address pain in conjunction with TBI, PTSD, and depression will likely be the most clinically effective.

PTSD and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease in Aging Veterans.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if late-life posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with cardiovascular disease in a sample of older veterans, and whether the association is independent of medical and psychiatric comorbities. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study conducted using the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Patient Care Database (2000-2011). SETTING: VA medical centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 138,341 veterans 55 years and older without cardiovascular disease at study baseline (2000-2003). MEASUREMENTS: PTSD and cardiovascular disease (as defined by diagnoses of: cerebrovascular disease [CVD], congestive heart failure [CHF], myocardial infarction [MI], and peripheral vascular disease [PVD]) were identified by ICD-9 codes during study baseline (2000-2003) and follow-up (2004-2011), respectively. RESULTS: 3% of veterans (N = 4,041) had a baseline diagnosis of PTSD. Unadjusted increased risk of incidence of CVD was 80%, CHF was 56%, MI was 82%, and PVD was 60% in veterans with PTSD compared with those without PTSD. After adjustment for demographics, medical comorbidities, substance use, and psychiatric comorbidities, veterans with late-life PTSD were at a 45% increased risk for incident CVD, 26% increased risk for incident CHF, 49% increased risk for incident MI, and 35% increased risk for PVD compared with veterans without late-life PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the longitudinal impact of PTSD on increasing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in older adults. This study implies the need for greater monitoring and treatment of PTSD in older persons, particularly older veterans, to assist in preventing adverse outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, over the long term.

Trauma Exposure and Risk of Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if trauma exposure is associated with suicidal ideation in a nationally representative sample of older adults. METHODS: This study included 3,277 participants 55 years and older involved in the Collaborate Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (2001-2003). RESULTS: Of the 84.8% of older adults who were exposed to any trauma, 2.2% endorsed late-life suicidal ideation. Multivariable models fully adjusted for sociodemographics, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and substance use revealed exposure to serious accidents/illness was associated with suicidal ideation (odds ratio: 2.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.16-5.59; Wald χ(2) = 5.47, df = 1, p = 0.019). Investigation of specific traumas within the category revealed that life-threatening illness was specifically associated with suicidal ideation in older adults (odds ratio: 2.12; 95% confidence interval: 1.34-3.36; Wald χ(2) = 10.33, df = 1, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the need for monitoring of suicidal ideation among older adults who have been informed of a life-threatening illness diagnosis.