Deployment to Military Bases With Open Burn Pits and Mental Health Conditions and Injury Mortality Among US Veterans.
retrospective_cohort · Level III
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40662966.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1097/JOM.0000000000003493.
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Abstract
This study aimed to examine associations between deployment to US military bases with open burn pits and mental health conditions and injury-related mortality among veterans. We analyzed a cohort of 439,919 US Army and Air Force Veterans deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom (2001-2011). Deployment records were linked with Veterans Health Administration data. Exposure was defined as cumulative days deployed to bases with burn pits. Deployment duration to burn pit-exposed bases are associated with increased risk of postdeployment diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder, intracranial damage and injuries, and unintentional injury-related mortality. Cumulative exposure to open burn pits was associated with elevated risk of long-term psychiatric and injury-related outcomes among veterans. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring and support for service members exposed to environmental hazards during military deployment.
Medical subject headings
- Veterans
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Military Deployment
- Occupational Exposure
- Wounds and Injuries
- Mental Disorders