Understanding Variations in Wellbeing Among U.S. Women Veterans

Background and Purpose: Wellbeing is recognized as a critical, multidimensional goal of health and policy progress for both civilian and military populations (Adler and Gutierrez, 2023; Thompson et al 2022; Vogt et al 2019; MacLean, Roach, Banman, Mabior, & Pedlar, 2016). However, existing research on wellbeing is predominantly focused on physical and psychological wellbeing, with broader, socially oriented conceptions only recently emerging in the literature. Data on the wellbeing of veterans is similarly limited in focus, particularly for women veterans (Dodds and Kiernen, 2019). This study expands on an initial study of the associations among mental health diagnoses, self-reported “not good” mental health days, and wellbeing indicators in U.S. women veterans.

Methods: Building on a presentation at SSWR 2025, we are analysing data from The Assessing the Needs of Women Who Served in the U.S. Armed Forces Survey, a web-based survey using modified snowball sampling that recruited U.S. women veterans aged 18 and older across all 50 states and branches of the military. A total of 4,707 women veterans responded (75% White, 11% African American, 7%, Hispanic American, 7% Other; 83% heterosexual, 8% lesbian, 5% bisexual, 4% other; 80% were 40+ years old).

Variables of interest include self-reported mental health diagnoses, TBI, MST, number of poor mental health days, and multiple wellbeing indicators (e.g., physical, mental, and spiritual health; sense of purpose; belonging; social support; feeling loved; and financial stability). Nominal and ordinal variables were analysed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess wellbeing and mental health outcomes by demographic and service-related variables. All tests were two-sided with α = 0.05.

Results: Preliminary findings show that non-heterosexual respondents (lesbian, bisexual, or other) reported significantly lower wellbeing than heterosexual respondents, and those who reported having both a sense of purpose and good, very good, or excellent spiritual wellbeing reported statistically significant lower numbers of not good mental health days in the prior month than respondents who did not. Further analyses focus on a more detailed investigation of these relationships as well as the intersection of military background variables, such as experiencing military sexual trauma (MST), age, time in service, era of service (pre-post9/11), as well as race/ethnicity, disability, and marital status. We will present detailed regression results and group comparisons.

Conclusions and Implications: Initial findings suggest meaningful links between wellbeing indicators and mental health status in women veterans, with implications for policy and service provision. The results underscore the importance of inclusive and identity-responsive physical, mental, and social health supports. Future research should explore subgroup-specific dynamics to better address the needs of women veterans of color, LGBTQ+ women, and those with disabilities. Evidence-based, culturally responsive frameworks are needed to reduce disparities and promote holistic wellbeing among all women veterans.