This Research Topic is the second volume in the series: Psychiatric Disorder in Veterans. The previous volume
can be viewed
here.
Neuropsychiatric disorders are extremely common in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), nearly twenty percent of U.S. adults lived with a mental illness in 2020, equating to approximately 52.9 million people. Studies have suggested that between 14% to 16% of U.S. service members have an anxiety or mood disorder after their deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. In 2018, more than 1.7 million veterans received treatment in a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) mental health specialty program. The mental health and care of veterans is a significant issue for the veteran population and is, thus, a top priority for the VHA.
Military service men and women have experienced unique conditional stressors that have put them at higher risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), all of which are risk factors for co-morbid diseases and suicidality. Further understanding the contributory factors leading to a predisposition for the development of neuropsychiatric illness and the willingness to receive care in this population are challenging but critical components in developing effective therapeutics and interventions to treat and prevent health disorders among veterans.
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders within the veteran population and can lead to significant dysfunction and quality of life, an increased risk of suicide, and a high correlation of co-morbid disorders. While suicide rates are decreasing, in 2020 there were 38,152 suicide deaths in the U.S. including 6,146 veterans, equating to 16.8 per day. Studies suggest that approximately 80% of Veterans mention PTSD-related symptoms during treatment. PTSD symptoms are widespread and can lead to significant maladaptive functioning in all aspects of life. In 2020, an estimated 14.8 million U.S. adults aged 18 or older had at least one major depressive episode with severe impairment in the past year. This number represented 6.0% of all U.S. adults. Further, in 2020, an estimated 66.0% of U.S. adults aged 18 or older received treatment for a major depressive episode, yet this number is fewer than 50% in the veteran population. Given the prevalence of mental health disorders, their pervasive impact on functioning, and barriers to treatment in the veteran population, innovative strategies are needed to address this significant issue.
The goal of this Research Topic is to highlight recent and current Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) and Precision Medicine investigations particular to the veteran population including:
- Multi-omics studies focusing on neuropsychiatric disorders
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning techniques in Psychiatry
- Genomics studies, transgenerational, gene x environment, and pharmacogenomics
- Precision medicine drug development for neuropsychiatric disorders
- Circadian rhythm and sleep studies for neuropsychiatric disorders
- Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness studies for neuropsychiatric disorders
- Studies on diet, including natural products, for neuropsychiatric disorders
We welcome the submission of a range of different article types (research article, brief research article, mini-review, review, case report, opinion, perspective, etc..).