title: U.S. Military Surveillance of Mental Disorders, 1998-2013.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Feature articles in the Medical Surveillance Monthly Report (MSMR) reflect the U.S. military's health surveillance priorities. This study examined whether the recent rise in the number of ambulatory encounters for mental disorders in the U.S. military associated with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars was reflected in a proportional increase in MSMR feature articles on this topic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles published in the MSMR from January 1998 to December 2013 were examined to categorize feature articles according to health outcome. The proportion of articles by topic of outcome was compared with the proportion of all ambulatory encounters by category of disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mental disorders constituted 13% of ambulatory encounters and were the topic of 11% of 329 feature articles during the period, a statistically nonsignificant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increased number of encounters for mental disorders has been met with a proportional but delayed increase in the number of MSMR feature articles focusing on these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Ms. Wicken is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. Dr. Nevin is with the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore. Dr. Ritchie is with the Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. Send correspondence to Dr. Nevin (e-mail: rnevin@jhu.edu ).
authors.forename: Cassie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wicken
authors.affiliation: Ms. Wicken is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. Dr. Nevin is with the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore. Dr. Ritchie is with the Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. Send correspondence to Dr. Nevin (e-mail: rnevin@jhu.edu ).
authors.forename: Remington
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nevin
authors.affiliation: Ms. Wicken is with the Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. Dr. Nevin is with the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore. Dr. Ritchie is with the Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. Send correspondence to Dr. Nevin (e-mail: rnevin@jhu.edu ).
authors.forename: Elspeth Cameron
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ritchie
mesh_terms: D055826:Afghan Campaign 2001-; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000639:trends*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000639:trends*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States