Women's Health Issues
Volume 19, Issue 6 , Pages 446-456, November 2009

Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders among Women Veterans with Diabetes

  • Ranjana Banerjea, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System, Center for Health Care Knowledge Management, East Orange, New Jersey
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Ranjana Banerjea, PhD, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave. NW (mail stop 124), Washington DC 20420; Phone: 202-461-1512; Fax: 202-254-0461.
    • ,
  • Leonard M. Pogach, MD, MBA

      Affiliations

    • Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System, Center for Health Care Knowledge Management, East Orange, New Jersey
    • University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey- New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey
    • ,
  • David Smelson, PsyD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System, Center for Health Care Knowledge Management, East Orange, New Jersey
    • Department of Veterans Affairs Bedford, Center of Excellence, Bedford, Massachusetts
    • University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
    • ,
  • Usha Sambamoorthi, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Veterans Affairs New Jersey Healthcare System, Center for Health Care Knowledge Management, East Orange, New Jersey
    • University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts
    • Morehouse School of Medicine, Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia

Received 6 July 2008; received in revised form 24 July 2009; accepted 24 July 2009.

Objectives

We sought to estimate the prevalence of mental illness (MI) and substance use disorders (SUD) and determine the predictors of MI/SUD categories among veteran women with diabetes.

Methods

We evaluated a cross-sectional analysis of 16,368 women veterans with diabetes in fiscal 1999 and 2000. SUD, MI, and diabetes were identified using validated algorithms based on diagnosis codes. Chi-square and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine associations between SUD, MI, demographic, socioeconomic, and health status variables.

Results

Overall, 45% of women had a MI, SUD, or both. SUD rates were high among those with serious MI. The associations between MI/SUD and independent variables were not uniformly significant, except for macrovascular conditions; women veterans were more likely to have combinations of MI/SUD.

Conclusion

A high rate of MI/SUD suggests that care for mental and physical illness needs to be integrated into health care planning and delivery of services to veteran women with diabetes.

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

 Supported by grants from Dr. Banerjea (IEA-05-255) and Dr. Pogach, (REA-03-021). The findings and opinions reported here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of any other individuals or organizations.

PII: S1049-3867(09)00075-9

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2009.07.007

Women's Health Issues
Volume 19, Issue 6 , Pages 446-456, November 2009

Article Tools