Combat veterans may experience more depression and anxiety as they age compared with military veterans who did not see combat, suggests a study in Psychology and Aging. Researchers examined survey data from more than 1,100 U.S. military veterans, collected between 1985 and 1991 when the men were ages 40 to 86 (average age 60). The researchers found that the veterans’ anxiety and depression symptoms showed a common U-shaped curve over time–their symptoms decreased from their 40s to mid-60s, then increased again in their 70s and 80s. In their mid-60s, combat and non-combat veterans showed similar levels of depression and anxiety. However, the late-in-life rise in depression and anxiety symptoms was much steeper among the combat veterans than among those who did not see combat. (Monitor on Psychology)

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