Mental Health Disparities Among Military Service Members and Veterans Enrolled in College

Background/Purpose:  Military service members/veterans (SM/V) are enrolling in colleges in record numbers using the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 benefit.  Prior research has identified the mental health disparities of veterans and the mental health disparities of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people.  However, no known research has explored the needs of LGB SM/V in college. As both LGB and SM/V, these students are at dual risk of mental health disparities that negatively impact quality of life and longevity.

The U.S. Census and other national entities do not collect data on sexual orientation making it difficult to assess the needs of the LGB. It can be particularly difficult to locate national data that measures both SM/V status and sexual orientation.  Previous studies have shown that LGB people attend college at rates higher than the general population in an effort to increase the likelihood of experiencing a fruitful life. The goal of this study is to explore the mental health needs of SM/V students and inform practices with this growing population by answering:  What are the differences in mental health characteristics of SM/V college students by sexual orientation?

Methods:  This study used fall 2011 National College Health Assessment II data from the American College Health Association (ACHA). ACHA administers this survey biannually with volunteer samples from varied institutions across the United States. The sample included 27,774 students from 44 post-secondary institutions. Only students with military experience were included (n= 702).

Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographic variables. Two-sample proportion and mean tests were used to compare mental health characteristics by sexual orientation. We dropped cases with missing data from the analyses.  Mental health characteristics were categorized in three ways: (1) 11 measures of mental health symptoms (e.g., felt things were hopeless; attempted suicide); (2) 16 treatment/diagnosis conditions (e.g., bipolar, panic attack); and (3) 12 measures of stress (e.g., academic, family-related).

Results: Results of descriptive statistics and two-sample proportion and mean tests found that LGB SM/V had statistically significant higher levels of mental health symptoms than heterosexual student veterans in all measures except one. For example, 18% of LGB SM/V in our sample have seriously considered suicide compared to only 6% of heterosexual SM/V; and 49% of LGB SM/V reported a diagnosis of depression at some point in their lives compared to only 24% of heterosexual peers.  

Conclusions and Implications: LGB SM/V college students experience significant mental health disparities that can interfere with college and their life course.  It was surprising to find statistically significant mental health difference in 38 of the 39 measures and the magnitude of disparity in measures such as suicide attempts. In 2012, the White House Joining Forces initiative partnered with NASW to ensure that as the largest provider of mental health services, social workers understand the needs of veterans. This study reiterates this need and serves as a reminder to understand the needs LGB SM/V.