My Alzheimer's Journey

Part 61 - The Effect War and Military Strikes Have on Mental Health

This photo shows the fear and worry of a family in Venezuela in the early morning hours of January 3. The United States military had just attacked their country.

At the moment this photo was taken, there were many more questions than answers.

What effect does a military attack and war have on people’s mental health? Specifically, does exposure to war increase someone’s likelihood of becoming depressed and developing dementia?

A sudden and unexpected event, such as a military strike, would cause people to feel threatened. Stress is a response to a threat. Anxiety is a reaction to stress. If the threat continues over a period of days, weeks, months, or even years, an anxiety disorder may develop. If not treated properly, chronic anxiety can have a long-lasting impact on someone’s mental, emotional, and physical health.

A study published July 24, 2024, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, found that anxiety can increase adults’ risk of developing dementia - by up to three times.

The study, conducted in Australia, followed 2,132 people ages 60 to 81 for 10 years. The average participant age was 76. Researchers asked participants about their emotional health using a 10-question evaluation (called the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale). Participants were interviewed twice, five years apart.

Those who responded as anxious during both interviews were considered to have chronic anxiety. Those who responded as anxious after only the second interview were considered to have new onset anxiety.

For those with chronic anxiety, the study showed that they were 2.8 times more likely to develop dementia in 10 years. Those with new onset anxiety, 3.2 times more likely. The risks were even higher for those whose anxiety started before they were 70.

Scientific Reports published a study March 3, 2023 that provided comprehensive findings on depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress during the 2022 Ukraine War. Interestingly, the study points out that the Ukraine War is the first war in history to be reported almost continuously in the media. This dramatically increases the number of people that could be psychologically impacted by the war.

The Scientific Reports study found that 46.5% and 46.3% of Ukrainians scored high on tests for depression and anxiety, respectively. The study found that there were psychological effects of the war among people outside of Ukraine. The closer someone’s country of residence is to Ukraine, the more likely it is that they may be impacted by media coverage.

A report published February 5, 2006, by World Psychiatry, reviewed published studies from twelve wars (or conflicts). These studies looked at the impact of war on the mental health of the “general population, the refugees, the soldiers and specific vulnerable groups”. The wars included Afghanistan, Chechen, Iraq, Somalia, and eight others.

This report found the “occurrence of a wide variety of psychological symptoms and syndromes in the populations in conflict situations is widely documented.” The report concludes that people in war situations should receive mental health care as part of their overall rehabilitation process. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations have developed mental health programs, including a book called, “Mental Health In Emergencies”.

In conclusion, studies show that war-related stress can increase the likelihood of depression and dementia of those directly involved in the conflict, as well as you and me as consumers of media covering the war. Treatment for anxiety is effective. If you have lingering anxiety, please seek help from a qualified health professional.

I leave you to ponder this Harry Belafonte quote from February 15, 2003:

“We have let the world know that we are in solidarity with those who seek to have other ways than war to settle our grievances.”