Obesity and mental health disorders are well-known conditions that have detrimental effects on those afflicted, and both are associated with heightened morbidity and premature mortality.
1,2 The Bottom Line
Compared to White military veterans, Latinx veterans demonstrated higher odds of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorders, drug use disorders, and non-suicidal self-injury.
Latinx veterans with obesity were more likely than White veterans with obesity to be engaged currently in mental health treatment, specifically psychotherapy or counseling.
The high prevalence of mental health difficulties among Latinx veterans underscores the importance of providing culturally sensitive and comprehensive healthcare services.
A correlation exists between obesity and mental health problems. Obesity has been found to increase mental health risk and vice versa based on each patient’s individual circumstances.
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A person with obesity could fall into social stigma surrounding the condition, ultimately resulting in depression or anxiety and possibly impeding their ability to manage stress.
4,5 This in turn could lead to emotional eating as a coping mechanism, contributing to the weight gain. 5 Published data show military veterans, who may be struggling with their return to life outside the military among other issues, are at an increased risk of both obesity and mental health conditions. 6,7 Latinx, or persons of Latin American descent, are the fastest growing segment of the U.S military population, and previous studies have shown that obesity disproportionally affects the Latinx population compared with the non-Latinx White population. 2,8 However, data on the association between obesity and mental health in the Latinx veteran population vs their White counterparts are lacking. 9 Thus, the authors of a new study aimed to fill in the gaps. “We intentionally sought to evaluate a broad range of measures, as the characterization of unique mental health and psychosocial correlates of obesity in Latinx and White veterans may help inform the clinical management of obesity, as well as the development and refinement of culturally sensitive prevention and treatment strategies for these populations,” they wrote. “Based on prior work, we hypothesized that, among veterans with obesity, Latinx veterans would have higher rates of several […]
Mental Health Disorder Rates Higher in Latinx Than White U.S. Military Veterans
