@article {8568, title = {The relationship between childhood poverty, military service, and later life depression among men: Evidence from the Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {J Affect Disord}, volume = {206}, year = {2016}, month = {2016 Dec}, pages = {1-7}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Childhood poverty has been associated with depression in adulthood, but whether this relationship extends to later life major depression (MD) or is modified by military service is unclear.

METHODS: Data come from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2010 wave, a longitudinal, nationally representative study of older adults. Men with data on military service and childhood poverty were included (N=6330). Childhood poverty was assessed by four indicators (i.e., parental unemployment, residential instability) experienced before age 16. Military service was categorized as veteran versus civilian, and during draft versus all-volunteer (after 1973) eras. Past year MD was defined by the Composite International Diagnostic Inventory.

RESULTS: Four in ten men ever served, with 13.7\% in the all-volunteer military. Approximately 12\% of civilians, 8\% draft era and 24\% all-volunteer era veterans had MD. Childhood poverty was associated with higher odds of MD (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.38, 95\% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.32-4.32) and higher odds of military service (OR: 2.58, 95\% CI: 1.58-4.21). Military service was marginally associated with MD (OR: 1.28, 95\% CI: 0.98-1.68) and did not moderate the association between childhood poverty and MD.

LIMITATIONS: Self-report data is subject to recall bias. The HRS did not assess childhood physical and emotional abuse, or military combat exposure.

CONCLUSIONS: Men raised in poverty had greater odds of draft and all-volunteer military service. Early-life experiences, independent of military service, appear associated with greater odds of MD. Assessing childhood poverty in service members may identify risk for depression in later life.

}, keywords = {Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Aged, Depressive Disorder, Major, Female, Health Surveys, Humans, Life Change Events, Male, Middle Aged, Military Personnel, Odds Ratio, Poverty, Self Report, United States, Veterans}, issn = {1573-2517}, doi = {10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.018}, url = {https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27455351}, author = {Bareis, Natalie and Briana Mezuk} }