TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Perceived purpose in life, mental health, and suicidality in older U.S. military veterans: results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study
JO  - American journal of geriatric psychiatry
A1  - Fischer, Ian C.
A1  - Tsai, Jack
A1  - Harpaz-Rotem, Ilan
A1  - McCutcheon, Victoria E.
A1  - Schulenberg, Stefan E.
A1  - Pietrzak, Robert H.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To determine the current prevalence of perceived purpose in life (PIL) and its association with screening positive for mental disorders and suicidality in a nationally representative sample of predominantly older U.S. veterans. <br><br>METHODS: Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (N = 4,069; M(age) = 62.2). Veterans were classified into three groups based on perceived PIL level (i.e., low, average, and high). Self-report assessments were administered to screen for mental disorders and suicidality. <br><br>RESULTS: Most veterans endorsed average PIL (71.7%), while 16.0% endorsed low PIL and 12.4% endorsed high PIL. A "dose-response" association was observed between PIL and outcomes. High PIL was associated with 42%-94% reduced odds of screening positive for major depressive, generalized anxiety, posttraumatic stress, and substance use disorders, as well as suicide attempts, ideation, and future intent. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Higher PIL is associated with lower odds of mental disorders and suicidality in U.S. veterans, underscoring the potential importance of interventions to bolster PIL in this population.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1064-7481
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2022.09.010
ID  - ref1
ER  -