Long-Term Outcomes of Military Service : The Health and Well-Being of Aging Veterans

Using data compiled from longitudinal studies of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans, contributors to this groundbreaking book examine the effects of military service across the lifespan. The US spends over 100 billion dollars annually on healthcare for more than 30 million active military and veterans. The prevalence of negative trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans is well-known. But other more subtle effects of military service—particularly on health and well-being in later life—are less well-understood, among researchers as well as medical and mental health professionals who care for veterans. Chapters in this book give us crucial insights into the impact of military service, including the surprising finding that service can serve as a protective factor in some contexts, throughout the aging process. Topic areas include the effects of combat and stress on longevity and brain functioning; the use of memory, cognition, and ego development at various points in life; the relationship between experiences of discrimination and the later development of PTSD; marriage longevity; employment; and the way notions of patriotism and nationalism among service personnel and their families may change over time. Introduction: Understanding The Long-term Outcomes Of Military Service / Avron Spiro Iii, Richard A. Settersten, Jr., & Carolyn Aldwin -- Part I. Psychosocial Dynamics -- Two Faces Of Wartime Experience: Collective Memories And Veterans' Appraisals In Later Life / Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Claudia Recksiedler, Bethany Godlewski, & Glen H. Elder, Jr -- Midlife Ego Development Of World War Ii Veterans: Contributions Of Personality Traits And Combat Exposure In Young Adulthood / Johanna C. Malone, Laura M. L. Distel, & Robert J. Waldinger -- Perceived Racial, Ethnic, And Gender Discrimination Among Male And Female Vietnam Era Veterans And Ptsd Symptoms Later In Life / Daniel H. Kabat, Steven D. Stellman, & Jeanne Mager Stellman -- Using A Life Course Perspective To Examine The Prevalence Of Marriage In Military Families / Shelley Macdermid Wadsworth, Sarah Mustillo, Anthony J. Faber, & Abigail Tolhurst Christiansen --^ Labor Force Participation Among Older Veterans / Alair Maclean, Meredith Kleykamp, & John Robert Warren -- Nationalism And Patriotism Among World War Ii Veterans And Their Baby-boom Children / Merril Silverstein, Andrew S. London, & Janet M. Wilmoth -- Part Ii. Health Dynamics -- Military Service Experiences And Older Men's Trajectories Of Self-rated Health / Janet M. Wilmoth, Andrew S. London, & William J. Oliver -- Studying Longitudinal Links From Early Adult Adversity To Later-life Well-being: American Repatriated Prisoners Of The Vietnam War / Lewina O. Lee, Avron Spiro Iii, Anna L. Tyzik, Daniel W. King, & Lynda A. King -- The Impact Of Military Service On Stress, Health, And Well-being In Later Life / Carolyn M. Aldwin, Crystal L. Park, Soyoung Choun, & Hyunyup Lee -- Exploring The Veteran Mortality Differential : The Influence Of War Era And Smoking Behavior / Scott D. Landes, Monika Ardelt, & Ann T. Landes --^ Military Service And Longitudinal Changes In Memory Performance During Later Life / Robert S. Stawski, Meghann L. Fenn, Chenkai Wu, & Gwenith G. Fisher -- Long-term Influences Of Combat Exposure And Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms On Brain Structure, Health And Functioning: The Vietnam Era Twin Study Of Aging / Carol E. Franz, Michael J. Lyons, & William S. Kremen -- The Effect Of Combat And Post-traumatic Stress Disorder On Longevity / George E. Vaillant & Diane Highum -- Part Iii. Implications For Practice And Policy -- Mental Health Considerations And Service Utilization In Older Adult Non-veterans And Veterans / Anica Pless Kaiser, Joan M. Cook, Joyce Wang, Eve Davison, & Paula P. Schnurr -- Aging Veterans And Long-term Outcomes Of Military Service: Implications For Practice And Policy / Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Carolyn M. Aldwin, & Avron Spiro Iii. Edited By Avron Spiro Iii, Richard A. Settersten, Jr., Carolyn M. Aldwin. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Contents Contributors Preface Introduction: Understanding the Long-Term Outcomes of Military Service Part I Psychosocial Dynamics Chapter 1 Two Faces of Wartime Experience: Collective Memories and Veterans’ Appraisals in Later Life Chapter 2 Midlife Ego Development of World War II Veterans: Contributions of Personality Traits and Combat Exposure in Young Adulthood Chapter 3 Perceived Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Discrimination Among Male and Female Vietnam-Era Veterans and PTSD Symptoms Later in Life Chapter 4 Using a Life Course Perspective to Examine the Prevalence of Marriage in Military Families Chapter 5 Labor Force Participation Among Older Veterans Chapter 6 Nationalism and Patriotism Among World War II Veterans and Their Baby-Boom Children Part II Health Dynamics Chapter 7 Military Service Experiences and Older Men’s Trajectories of Self-Rated Health Chapter 8 Studying Longitudinal Links From Early Adult Adversity to Later-Life Well-Being: American Repatriated Prisoners of the Vietnam War Chapter 9 The Impact of Military Service on Stress, Health, and Well-Being in Later Life Chapter 10 Exploring the Veteran Mortality Differential: The Influence of War Era and Smoking Behavior Chapter 11 Military Service and Changes in Memory Performance During Later Life Chapter 12 Long-Term Influences of Combat Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms on Brain Structure, Health, and Functioning: The Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging Chapter 13 The Effects of Combat and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Longevity Part III Implications for Practice and Policy Chapter 14 Mental Health Considerations and Service Utilization in Older Adult Nonveterans and Veterans Chapter 15 Aging Veterans and Long-Term Outcomes of Military Service: Implications for Practice and Policy Index About the Editors "Using data compiled from longitudinal studies of World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans, contributors to this groundbreaking book examine the effects of military service across the lifespan. The U.S. spends more than 100 billion dollars annually on healthcare for more than 30 million active military and veterans. The prevalence of negative trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among military veterans is well-known. But other more subtle effects of military service -- particularly on health and well-being in later life -- are less well-understood, among researchers as well as medical and mental health professionals who care for veterans. Chapters in this book give us crucial insights into the impact of military service, including the surprising finding that service can serve as a protective factor in some contexts, throughout the aging process. Topic areas include: (1) the effects of combat and stress on longevity and brain functioning; (2) the use of memory, cognition, and ego development at various points in life; (3) the relationship between experiences of discrimination and the later development of PTSD; (4) marriage longevity; (4) employment; and (5) the way notions of patriotism and nationalism among service personnel and their families may change over time."--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)