More Americans are caring for veterans than previously thought These caregivers are under mental and financial strain Those caring for younger veterans and service members are under the most pressure WEDNESDAY, Sept. 24, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Millions of Americans are caring for veterans, putting their finances and their mental health on the line to help those who have served the country. More than 14 million Americans now provide daily care to wounded, sick or injured military service members or veterans, a new study finds.
And data show that care is . More than 40% of caregivers for younger veterans 60 or under meet criteria for probable depression, researchers found. Further, one-third thought they need mental health care but don’t receive it, mainly because they don’t have the time, results show.
Caregivers also reported spending more than $8,500 out-of-pocket each year helping veterans, researchers found, and their care made them forego $4,000 a year in additional income. Those costs could be why one-third of military or veteran caregivers report incomes below 130% of the federal poverty line, researchers said. “Military and veteran caregivers are family members who do this out of love and obligation, but they are also friends and neighbors who are taking on these duties out of caring and kindness,” said lead researcher , a senior behavioral scientist at RAND Corp.
, a nonprofit research organization. “Care recipients benefit from the work these caregivers do.