Happiness Levels in U.S. Military Veterans Similar to General Population

WEST HAVEN, CT — Overall, U.S. military veterans report happiness levels that are only slightly lower than the general population, despite potentially traumatic experiences during deployment.

That’s according to a recent study, which found that the strongest correlates of happiness being greater purpose in life, lower severity of depressive symptoms and higher optimism, emotional stability and resilience.

The study published in PLOS One examined levels and correlates of perceived happiness in U.S. military veterans, possibly the first analysis of its kind for this population. Study authors are affiliated with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System in West Haven, CT.¹

“The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has recently begun to shift from a disease-oriented healthcare model to a “Whole Health” model that prioritizes subjective well-being,” Robert H. Pietrzak, PhD, MPH, senior author, director of the Translational Psychiatric Epidemiology Laboratory of the Clinical Neurosciences Division of the VA National Center for PTSD and professor of psychiatry and public health at Yale University, told U.S. Medicine.

“Subjective perceptions of health and well-being (i.e., “what matters to you?” instead of “what is the matter with you?”) are a central aspect of this initiative, so we wanted to study factors linked to happiness, which is a key component of subjective well-being,” Pietrzak said.

Understanding levels and correlates of perceived happiness in U.S. military veterans could lead to more person-centered, preventive healthcare approaches, the researchers suggested.

The study analyzed data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of 4,069 U.S. military veterans. Happiness was assessed with a single, 7-point item from the Subjective Happiness Scale, which asks “In general, I consider myself:” “Not a very happy person” (1) to “A very happy person” (7). In addition to assessing subjective happiness, a range of sociodemographic, military, health, personality and psychosocial characteristics were measured, the study authors explained.

This first-of-its-kind analysis had three main findings, Pietrzak suggested.

“First, we found that their average happiness score was 5.41 out of 7 on a scale where 1 means “not a very happy person” and 7 means “a very happy person.” While this average was slightly lower than the 5.62 reported in a study of U.S. adults, the difference was minimal, suggesting that veterans’ happiness levels are generally comparable to those of the broader population,” Pietrzak said.

“Second, we identified key factors linked to happiness, including greater purpose in life and optimism and fewer symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD). Of these, having a strong sense of purpose in life was most strongly linked to happiness,” Pietrzak continued. “Third, we found that, even among veterans who screened positive for MDD, those who were more optimistic, emotionally stable and resilient reported higher happiness levels than their peers with MDD, although they still scored lower than veterans without MDD. These findings highlight the importance of efforts to help bolster positive traits, even in the face of mental health challenges.”

Overall, this study highlights that modifiable psychological factors—particularly purpose in life, optimism, emotional stability and resilience—are strongly linked to happiness among veterans, even for those experiencing major depressive disorder. This finding suggests an opportunity for targeted interventions focused on building strengths rather than just addressing symptoms, Pietrzak pointed out.

“A key finding is that modifiable psychological factors are strongly linked to happiness, suggesting it may be possible to enhance happiness with interventions that target these factors,” Hun Kang, MPH, lead author and research associate at Yonsei University Department of Nursing in South Korea, told U.S. Medicine.

Purpose in Life

“For example, purpose in life emerged as the strongest correlate of happiness, indicating that evidence-based approaches like meaning-centered interventions could be effective in boosting happiness among veterans—however, clinical trials are needed to evaluate this possibility. Notably, purpose in life is a central element of the VA’s Whole Health initiative, which focuses on promoting overall well-being in veterans,” Kang said.

Kang noted that, although MDD was linked to lower happiness in the full sample, veterans with MDD who were more optimistic, emotionally stable and psychologically resilient, reported higher levels of happiness.

“This finding suggests that psychosocial interventions aimed at enhancing these modifiable factors may help promote happiness in veterans with MDD and related conditions,” Kang said. “Importantly, it underscores the importance of focusing not only on “fixing what’s wrong” but also on “building what’s strong” as part of efforts to promote Whole Health in veterans.”

Some limitations of this study include its cross-sectional design, use of a single-item measure of happiness and reliance on self-report measures. In the future, the investigators suggest using longitudinal and qualitative study designs and multidimensional measures of happiness to provide a better understanding of how participants perceive and experience happiness.

Study authors recommend that further studies are needed to replicate these findings in other veteran samples and evaluate elements of happiness and other aspects of well-being. To promote happiness and overall well-being in U.S. military veterans, the researchers also suggest that additional studies should evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and treatment efforts on targeting factors that can be changed, such as purpose in life.

 

1. Kang H, Fischer IC, Na PJ, Pietrzak RH. Happiness in US military veterans: Results from a nationally representative study. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 11;19(12):e0313609. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0313609. PMID: 39661580; PMCID: PMC11633995.