Table 1
Baseline Demographics.
| WHOLE SAMPLE n = 4,633 | VETERANS n = 801 | CIVILIANS n = 3,832 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | |
| Gender (% female) | 56.3% (n = 2,609) | 5.6% (n = 45) | 66.9% (n = 2,564) |
| Race* | |||
| Asian | 0.5% (n = 27) | 0.0% (n = 0) | 0.7% (n = 27) |
| Black | 16.2% (n = 754) | 12.2% (n = 98) | 17.0% (n = 655) |
| Native American | 5.7% (n = 267) | 5.4% (n = 44) | 5.8% (n = 223) |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2% (n = 10) | 0.3% (n = 3) | 0.1% (n = 7) |
| White | 81.6% (n = 3,783) | 86.0% (n = 689) | 80.7% (n = 3,094) |
| Other | 2.8% (n = 131) | 2.3% (n = 19) | 2.9% (n = 113) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.4% (n = 20) | 0.2% (n = 2) | 0.5% (n = 21) |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Not Spanish/Hispanic | 97.0% (n = 4,492) | 96.3% (n = 771) | 97.1% (n = 3,721) |
| Spanish/Hispanic | 2.7% (n = 125) | 3.1% (n = 25) | 2.6% (n = 100) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.3% (n = 16) | 0.6% (n = 5) | 0.2% (n = 11) |
| Education | |||
| No school/some grade school (1-6) | 0.5% (n = 21) | 0.2% (n = 2) | 0.5% (n = 19) |
| 8th grade/junior high school (HS;7-8) | 1.4% (n = 67) | 1.2% (n = 10) | 1.5% (n = 57) |
| Some HS (9-12 no diploma/GED) | 5.9% (n = 272) | 4.7% (n = 38) | 6.1% (n = 234) |
| GED | 1.6% (n = 73) | 1.7% (n = 14) | 1.5% (n = 59) |
| Graduated from HS | 26.6% (n = 1,232) | 23.5% (n = 188) | 27.2% (n = 1,044) |
| 1 to 2 years of college, no degree yet | 17.7% (n = 818) | 18.7% (n = 150) | 17.4% (n = 668) |
| 3 + years of college, no degree yet | 3.9% (n = 182) | 4.2% (n = 34) | 3.9% (n = 148) |
| Graduated from 2-year college, vocational school or associate degree | 7.4% (n = 342) | 8.0% (n = 64) | 7.3% (n = 278) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 17.7% (n = 821) | 20.1% (n = 161) | 17.2% (n = 660) |
| Some graduate school | 2.9% (n = 134) | 3.9% (n = 31) | 2.7% (n = 103) |
| Master’s degree | 10.0% (n = 462) | 9.0% (n = 72) | 10.2% (n = 390) |
| Doctorate or other professional degree | 4.4% (n = 203) | 4.6% (n = 37) | 4.3% (n = 166) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.1% (n = 6) | 0.0% (n = 0) | 0.1% (n = 6) |
[i] Note: * Participants could identify up to 4 racial identities, categories not mutually exclusive, and may total more than 100%.
Table 2
Comparisons Between Veterans and Civilians on Life Events and Mental Health Symptoms.
| VETERAN MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | CIVILIAN MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLE | 4.00 (3.00–6.00) | 3.00 (1.00–4.00) | <.001 | 2143235.00 |
| SLE trauma | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | <.001 | 1762166.00 |
| SLE childhood | 1.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | <.001 | 1714808.50 |
| Depression* | 0.41 (1.44) | 0.67 (1.81) | <.001 | 1457034.00 |
| Anxiety* | 0.07 (0.68) | 0.15 (0.93) | .005 | 1507490.00 |
| Panic symptoms* | 0.15 (0.75) | 0.33 (1.03) | <.001 | 1438780.50 |
[i] Note: SLE = Stressful Life Events; n for veterans is 801; n for civilians is 3832; *We reported mean and SD for descriptive purposes because the median and IQR were all zero.
Table 3
Comparisons of Life Events and Mental Health by Combat Status.
| COMBAT VETERAN MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | NON-COMBAT VETERAN MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLE | 3.00 (2.00–5.00) | 3.00 (2.00–4.00) | <.001 | 73405.00 |
| SLE trauma | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | .09 | 67139.50 |
| SLE childhood | 1.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | <.001 | 75135.50 |
| Depression* | 0.52 (1.57) | 0.37 (1.39) | .07 | 65825.00 |
| Anxiety* | 0.02 (.34) | 0.09 (0.77) | .22 | 62679.00 |
| Panic symptoms* | 0.12 (0.68) | 0.16 (0.78) | .94 | 63277.50 |
[i] Note: SLE = Stressful Life Events; n for Combat Veteran = 217; n for Non-Combat Veteran = 584; *We report mean and SD for descriptive purposes because the median and IQR were all zero.
Table 4
Comparisons of Stressful Life Events and Mental Health by Probable VA Healthcare Use.
| VA VETERAN MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | VETERAN NOT LIKELY TO USE VA HEALTHCARE MEDIAN (IQR) OR MEAN (SD) | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLE | 4.50 (3.00–6.00) | 4.00 (3.00–6.00) | .14 | 26137.50 |
| SLE trauma | 1.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | <.001 | 28400.00 |
| SLE childhood | 1.00 (0.00–1.00) | 1.00 (0.00–1.00) | .04 | 26831.50 |
| Depression* | 0.78 (1.96) | 0.33 (1.29) | .004 | 26212.00 |
| Anxiety* | 0.09 (0.83) | 0.07 (0.60) | .93 | 24222.50 |
| Panic symptoms* | 0.26 (1.04) | 0.14 (0.76) | .24 | 24855.00 |
[i] Note: SLE = Stressful Life Events; n for VA Veteran = 184; n for non-VA veteran = 263; *We reported mean and SD for descriptive purposes because median and IQR were all zero.
Table 5
Project 4 Demographics.
| WHOLE SAMPLE n = 1,099 | VETERANS n = 172 | CIVILIANS n = 927 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % (n) | % (n) | % (n) | |
| Gender (% female) | 56.1% (n = 617) | 5.8% (n = 10) | 65.5% (n = 607) |
| Race* | |||
| Asian | 0.1% (n = 5) | 0.0% (n = 0) | 0.5% (n = 5) |
| Black | 19.3% (n = 213) | 13.3% (n = 23) | 20.4% (n = 190) |
| Native American | 6.0% (n = 66) | 5.2% (n = 9) | 6.1% (n = 57) |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 (n = 3) | 0.5% (n = 1) | 0.2% (n = 2) |
| White | 78.9% (n = 868) | 84.9% (n = 146) | 77.8% (n = 722) |
| Other | 3.4% (n = 38) | 2.9% (n = 5) | 3.5% (n = 33) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.3% (n = 4) | 0.0% (n = 0) | 0.4% (n = 4) |
| Ethnicity | |||
| Not Spanish/Hispanic | 96.0% (n = 1,055) | 97.1% (n = 167) | 95.8% (n = 888) |
| Spanish/Hispanic | 3.5% (n = 39) | 2.3% (n = 4) | 3.8% (n = 35) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.4% (n = 5) | 0.6% (n = 1) | 0.4% (n = 4) |
| Education | |||
| No school/some grade school (1–6) | 0.2% (n = 2) | 0.6% (n = 1) | 0.2% (n = 2) |
| 8th grade/junior high school (HS; 7–8) | 0.9% (n = 10) | 2.3% (n = 4) | 1.0% (n = 9) |
| Some HS (9–12 no diploma/GED) | 4.5% (n = 49) | 2.3% (n = 4) | 4.9% (n = 45) |
| GED | 1.5% (n = 16) | 0.6% (n = 1) | 1.6% (n = 15) |
| Graduated from HS | 20.7% (n = 228) | 17.4% (n = 30) | 21.4% (n = 198) |
| 1 to 2 years of college, no degree yet | 17.6% (n = 193) | 16.3% (n = 28) | 17.8% (n = 165) |
| 3 + years of college, no degree yet | 4.5% (n = 49) | 5.2% (n = 9) | 4.3% (n = 40) |
| Graduated from 2-year college, vocational school or associate degree | 7.6% (n = 84) | 12.2% (n = 21) | 6.8% (n = 63) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 20.7% (n = 228) | 23.8% (n = 41) | 20.2% (n = 187) |
| Some graduate school | 4.0% (n = 44) | 6.4% (n = 11) | 3.6% (n = 33) |
| Master’s degree | 13.3% (n = 146) | 10.5% (n = 18) | 13.0 % (n = 128) |
| Doctorate or other professional degree | 4.3% (n = 47) | 4.7% (n = 8) | 4.2% (n = 39) |
| Don’t know/Refused | 0.5% (n = 3) | 0.0% (n = 0) | 0.3% (n = 3) |
[i] Note: * Participants could identify up to 4 racial identities, categories not mutually exclusive, and may total more than 100%.
Table 6
Comparison of Veterans and Civilians on Childhood Trauma, Emotional Factors, and Health.
| MEDIAN (IQR) VETERAN | MEDIAN (IQR) CIVILIAN | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total CTQ | 32.00 (28.00–40.00) | 34.00 (28.00–43.60) | .36 | 75959.50 |
| CTQ (emotional abuse) | 6.00 (5.00–9.00) | 6.00 (5.00–9.00) | .07 | 72628.00 |
| CTQ (physical abuse) | 6.00 (5.00–8.00) | 6.00 (5.00–7.00) | .36 | 82843.50 |
| CTQ (sexual abuse) | 5.00 (5.00–5.00) | 5.00 (5.00–6.00) | .002 | 70566.00 |
| CTQ (emotional neglect) | 8.50 (6.00–13.00) | 9.00 (6.00–13.00) | .68 | 77813.50 |
| CTQ (physical neglect) | 6.00 (5.00–8.75) | 6.00 (5.00–8.00) | .11 | 85213.50 |
| EMOTIONAL FACTORS | ||||
| Emotion control | 4.70 (4.30–5.20) | 4.80 (4.20–5.30) | .91 | 79723.00 |
| Burden of consciousness | 4.70 (4.40–5.30) | 4.90 (4.30–5.40) | .07 | 72336.50 |
| Cognition control | 5.20 (4.80–5.70) | 5.30 (4.80–5.80) | .23 | 74715.00 |
| MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS | ||||
| Trait anxiety | 30.50 (26.00–37.00) | 33.00 (28.00–41.00) | .001 | 66862.50 |
| Social anxiety | 1.70 (1.40–2.08) | 1.80 (1.40–2.20) | .009 | 69656.50 |
| Trait anger | 23.00 (20.55–26.00) | 23.00 (20.00–27.00) | .81 | 78300.00 |
| Angry temperament | 4.00 (4.00–6.00) | 4.00 (4.00–6.00) | .93 | 79138.00 |
| Angry reaction | 7.00 (6.00–9.00) | 7.00 (6.00–9.00) | .51 | 76965.00 |
| Depression | 6.00 (3.00–10.00) | 7.00 (3.00–12.00) | .06 | 71845.00 |
| INFLAMMATORY MARKERS | ||||
| IL-10 | 0.25 (0.17–0.38) | 0.22 (0.16–0.32) | .02 | 87058.00 |
| sICAM | 283.47 (232.98–341.24) | 269.96 (213.02–334.60) | .02 | 86840.50 |
| sIL6r | 33849.00 (27045.00–41420.00) | 33889.00 (26958.50–41485.50) | .96 | 78592.50 |
| Fibrinogen | 337.00 (279.50–381.00) | 340.00 (290.00–399.00) | .16 | 71765.50 |
| IL-6 | 0.86 (0.61–1.23) | 0.80 (0.54–1.22) | .18 | 83272.00 |
| CRP | 1.32 (0.71–3.07) | 1.43 (0.69–3.75) | .42 | 73966.00 |
| SES | 41.71 (28.59–52.39) | 38.96 (28.21–52.58) | .29 | 82271.50 |
| IL-8 | 12.12 (8.72–15.11) | 12.30 (9.13–15.91) | .26 | 74014.00 |
| HEALTH FACTORS | ||||
| Sleep quality | 5.00 (3.00–8.00) | 5.00 (4.00–8.00) | .29 | 66004.50 |
| # Head injuries | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | .06 | 85233.50 |
| # RX medications | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | .58 | 76778.50 |
| BMI | 28.61 (25.64–32.45) | 28.62 (24.98–33.43) | .60 | 81658.00 |
| # Chronic conditions | 2.00 (1.00–3.00) | 2.00 (1.00–3.00) | .59 | 77708.00 |
[i] Note: CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; IL-10 = Interleukin 10; sICAM = soluble intercellular adhesion molecule; sIL-6r = Soluble Interleukin 6 Receptor; IL-6 = Interleukin 6; CRP = C-reactive protein; SES = soluble E-Selectin; IL-8 = Interleukin 8; BMI = body mass index; n = 172 for veterans; n = 927 for civilians; total n varies from 1026–1099.
Table 7
Comparisons of Combat and Non-combat Veterans for Childhood Trauma, Emotional Factors, and Health.
| COMBAT VETERANMEDIAN (IQR) | NON-COMBAT VETERANMEDIAN (IQR) | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total CTQ | 34.00 (30.00–39.00) | 32.00 (28.00–42.00) | .26 | 3094.50 |
| CTQ (emotional abuse) | 7.00 (5.00–9.00) | 6.00 (5.00–9.00) | .15 | 3161.50 |
| CTQ (physical abuse) | 6.00 (5.00–8.00) | 6.00 (5.00–7.00) | .19 | 3129.50 |
| CTQ (sexual abuse) | 5.00 (5.00–5.00) | 5.00 (5.00–5.00) | .31 | 2596.50 |
| CTQ (emotional neglect) | 8.00 (6.00–12.00) | 9.00 (5.50–13.00) | .76 | 2861.00 |
| CTQ (physical neglect) | 6.00 (5.00–9.00) | 6.00 (5.00–8.00) | .34 | 3035.50 |
| EMOTIONAL FACTORS | ||||
| Emotion control | 4.70 (4.20–5.30) | 4.70 (4.30–5.20) | .60 | 2626.50 |
| Burden consciousness | 4.70 (4.30–5.30) | 4.70 (4.40–5.30) | .57 | 2614.00 |
| Cognition control | 5.20 (4.80–5.80) | 5.30 (4.80–5.70) | .77 | 2691.50 |
| MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS | ||||
| Trait anxiety | 33.00 (26.00–41.00) | 30.00 (26.00–36.00) | .13 | 3197.00 |
| Social anxiety | 1.60 (1.30–1.90) | 1.70 (1.40–2.10) | .09 | 2293.00 |
| Trait anger | 24.00 (21.00–27.00) | 22.00 (20.00–26.00) | .37 | 3024.00 |
| Angry temperament | 5.00 (4.00–7.00) | 4.00 (4.00–6.00) | .19 | 3113.00 |
| Angry reaction | 7.00 (6.00–8.00) | 7.00 (6.00–9.00) | .61 | 2916.00 |
| Depression | 8.00 (4.00–13.00) | 5.00 (2.00–8.00) | .005 | 3571.00 |
| INFLAMMATORY MARKERS | ||||
| IL-10 | 0.32 (0.18–0.39) | 0.25 (0.17–0.36) | .25 | 3030.00 |
| sICAM | 300.19 (242.30–367.54) | 276.52 (229.44–329.32) | .19 | 3077.00 |
| sIL6r | 35754.00 (28906.00–41049.50) | 33059.00 (26651.00–41571.50) | .35 | 2972.00 |
| Fibrinogen | 351.00 (288.50–397.50) | 328.00 (277.00–377.75) | .21 | 2969.50 |
| IL-6 | 0.92 (0.70–1.76) | 0.80 (0.57–1.17) | .03 | 3307.00 |
| CRP | 1.49 (0.89–4.36) | 1.27 (0.63–2.82) | .12 | 3044.50 |
| SES | 46.54 (36.11–63.85) | 40.54 (26.63–50.94) | .02 | 3377.50 |
| IL-8 | 11.15 (8.56–14.64) | 12.25 (8.83–15.20) | .47 | 2509.00 |
| HEALTH FACTORS | ||||
| Sleep quality | 5.00 (4.00–8.00) | 5.00 (3.00–8.00) | .92 | 2406.00 |
| # Head injuries | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | < .001 | 3571.50 |
| # RX medications | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | .48 | 2399.50 |
| BMI | 27.66 (25.40–32.55) | 28.70 (25.93–32.44) | .29 | 2473.00 |
| # Chronic conditions | 2.00 (1.00–4.00) | 2.00 (1.00–3.00) | .03 | 3375.50 |
[i] Note: CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; IL-10 = Interleukin 10; sICAM = soluble intercellular adhesion molecule; sIL-6r = Soluble Interleukin 6 Receptor; IL-6 = Interleukin 6; CRP = C-reactive protein; SES = soluble E-Selectin; IL-8 = Interleukin 8; BMI = body mass index; n = 43 for combat veterans, n = 129 for non-combat veteran; total n varies from 161–172.
Table 8
Comparisons of Veterans Based on Probable VA Healthcare Use.
| VA VETERANMEDIAN (IQR) | NON-VA VETERANMEDIAN (IQR) | p | U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total CTQ | 35.00 (30.00–53.75) | 32.00 (29.00–40.75) | .13 | 1482.00 |
| CTQ (emotional abuse) | 7.00 (5.00–11.00) | 6.00 (5.00–9.00) | .18 | 1449.50 |
| CTQ (physical abuse) | 7.00 (5.00–9.00) | 6.00 (5.25–8.00) | .60 | 1336.00 |
| CTQ (sexual abuse) | 5.00 (5.00–5.00) | 5.00 (5.00–5.00) | .93 | 1252.00 |
| CTQ (emotional neglect) | 10.00 (7.00–14.50) | 8.00 (6.00–12.00) | .03 | 1582.00 |
| CTQ (physical neglect) | 7.00 (5.00–9.00) | 6.00 (5.00–8.75) | .27 | 1418.50 |
| EMOTIONAL FACTORS | ||||
| Emotion control | 4.70 (4.23–5.00) | 4.80 (4.30–5.30) | .06 | 987.50 |
| Burden consciousness | 4.90 (4.10–5.33) | 4.60 (4.10–5.08) | .13 | 1480.50 |
| Cognition control | 5.20 (4.65–5.70) | 5.20 (4.80–5.80) | .53 | 1167.00 |
| MENTAL HEALTH SYMPTOMS | ||||
| Trait anxiety | 31.50 (26.00–40.25) | 29.00 (26.00–35.00) | .18 | 1455.50 |
| Social anxiety | 1.70 (1.40–2.00) | 1.60 (1.30–1.90) | .16 | 1465.50 |
| Trait anger | 23.00 (21.00–28.00) | 23.00 (19.25–26.00) | .50 | 1359.00 |
| Angry temperament | 5.00 (4.00–7.00) | 4.00 (4.00–5.00) | .21 | 1431.00 |
| Angry reaction | 8.00 (6.00–9.00) | 7.00 (5.00–8.00) | .13 | 1482.00 |
| Depression | 6.50 (3.75–15.25) | 5.00 (2.00–9.00) | .06 | 1540.50 |
| INFLAMMATORY MARKERS | ||||
| IL-10 | 0.26 (0.19–0.39) | 0.25 (0.16–0.36) | .71 | 1292.50 |
| sICAM | 277.98 (238.51–593.87) | 283.84 (232.98–343.40) | .80 | 1275.50 |
| sIL6r | 33597.50 (26926.25–40897.00) | 34088.00 (26008.00–42002.00) | .92 | 1223.50 |
| Fibrinogen | 345.00 (306.00–386.00) | 338.00 (274.50–390.50) | .51 | 1281.50 |
| IL-6 | 1.17 (0.80–1.57) | 0.75 (0.51–1.05) | .003 | 1674.50 |
| CRP | 1.26 (0.54–3.61) | 1.22 (0.70–3.10) | .85 | 1216.50 |
| SES | 43.33 (36.11–60.38) | 37.95 (26.63–49.37) | .04 | 1534.00 |
| IL-8 | 10.99 (9.05–14.74) | 13.08 (8.93–15.77) | .29 | 1086.50 |
| HEALTH FACTORS | ||||
| Sleep | 5.50 (3.75–9.25) | 5.00 (4.00–8.00) | .68 | 1118.00 |
| # Head injuries | 0.50 (0.00–1.00) | 0.00 (0.00–1.00) | .02 | 1549.00 |
| # RX medications | 1.00 (1.00–3.00) | 1.00 (0.00–2.00) | .02 | 1499.50 |
| BMI | 27.75 (25.30–32.51) | 28.65 (25.53–32.35) | .86 | 1234.00 |
| # Chronic conditions | 2.50 (1.00–4.00) | 2.00 (0.25–4.00) | .14 | 1473.00 |
[i] Note: CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; IL-10 = Interleukin 10; sICAM = soluble intercellular adhesion molecule; sIL-6r = Soluble Interleukin 6 Receptor; IL-6 = Interleukin 6; CRP = C-reactive protein; SES = soluble E-Selectin; IL-8 = Interleukin 8; BMI = body mass index; n = 42 VA veteran, n = 60 non-VA veteran; total n ranges from 94–102.