title: Age as a predictive factor of mental health service use among adults with depression and/or anxiety disorder receiving care through the Veterans Health Administration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study compared mental health service utilization by treatment modality and determined predictive factors of use among younger-adult (18-35 years), middle-aged adult (36-64 years), and older-adult veterans (65+ years) with a newly recognized diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study used data from the Veterans Health Administration National Patient Care Database outpatient and inpatient treatment files during the 2010 fiscal year (N = 583,692).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Younger adults were the most likely to use mental health services, followed by middle-aged adults and then older adults. Age was found to be one of the greatest predictors of utilization of mental health services, with odds of use being threefold among younger adults compared with older adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Continued efforts are needed to improve the awareness of, access to, and receipt of mental health services in veterans, particularly older adults, with depression and anxiety disorders. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.|VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: DiNapoli
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.|VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffery A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Cully
authors.affiliation: Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Ernest
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wayde
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Shubhada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sansgiry
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.|VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Hong Jen
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: VA HSR&D Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, Houston, TX, USA.|Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.|VA South Central Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kunik
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: age; anxiety; depression; mental health services; older adults; veterans