title: Employment status of patients in the VA health system: implications for mental health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Most veterans who use Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care are not employed. This study evaluated the association between mental disorders and labor force status among VA health care users.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multinomial logistic regression analyses modeled the relationship between mental disorders and employment among patients aged 18 to 64 who completed the 2005 Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 98,867 patients who met eligibility criteria, 36% were disabled, 35% were employed, 20% were retired, and 7% were unemployed. Those with bipolar disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, or a substance use disorder were more likely to be unemployed, disabled, or retired than employed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study confirmed a negative relationship between having a mental disorder and being employed. Future studies of barriers associated with veterans' employment could help policy makers target mental health treatments and supportive employment services to the unique needs of veterans.
authors.affiliation: Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center, Health Services Research and Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. kzivin@umich.edu
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zivin
authors.forename: Amy S B
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Bohnert
authors.forename: Briana
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mezuk
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ilgen
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ratliff
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenstein
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kilbourne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D058014:Veterans Health