Mental Health and Cognition in Women Veterans Enrolled in the Health of Vietnam Era Veteran Women's Study (HealthViEWS).

Breneman CB, Valmas MM, Skalina LM, Cypel Y, Spiro A, Frayne SM, Magruder KM, Kilbourne AM, Kimerling R, Reinhard MJ. Mental Health and Cognition in Women Veterans Enrolled in the Health of Vietnam Era Veteran Women's Study (HealthViEWS). Journal of women's health (2002). 2024 Nov 1; 33(11):1431-1441.

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Abstract:

This analysis explored relationships between mental health symptoms and conditions and cognitive function in a cohort of Vietnam-era women veterans from the Health of Vietnam Era Veteran Women''s Study (HealthViEWS). Vietnam-era women veterans completed a mail survey assessing self-reported symptom severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. A telephone-based structured interview assessed mental health conditions and cognitive function (telephone interview for cognitive status [TICS]). Participants were categorized using a TICS threshold of = 29 to designate possible cognitive impairment versus nonimpaired. Separate logistic regression models were used to determine associations between possible cognitive impairment and each self-reported and interviewer-rated assessment of PTSD and depression while adjusting for age, education, race, marital status, and wartime service location. The sample consisted of 4,077 women veterans who were = 60 years old and completed the TICS. Of these women, 7.20% were categorized with possible cognitive impairment. Logistic regression models indicated that self-reported PTSD and depression symptom severity were each significantly associated with higher odds of possible cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratios [aOR]: 1.03 [95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-1.04] and 1.07 [95% CI: 1.04-1.09], respectively). Women veterans with a probable diagnosis of depression had higher odds of possible cognitive impairment compared to those without depression (aOR: 1.61 [95% CI: 1.07-2.42]). No association was found for probable diagnosis of PTSD. Although further examination remains necessary, results suggest that Vietnam-era women veterans with self-reported PTSD and depression symptom severity or a probable diagnosis of depression may benefit from screening of cognitive function to inform clinical care.