Small Area Estimation of Mental Distress Among United States Military Veterans in Illinois

The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of mental distress at the county-level for the service member or veteran (SMV) population in Illinois. Multilevel small-area estimation methodology (SAE) was used to estimate and map the prevalence of SMV mental distress in Illinois counties using data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Furthermore, local indicators of spatial association analysis (LISA) was conducted in order to identify hotspots of SMV mental distress in Illinois. For 2016, the average model-based mental distress rate for SMVs in Illinois counties was 8.6%. LISA analysis revealed a significant cluster (p < 0.01) of “high–high” SMV mental distress prevalence in St. Clair County and Clinton County. These findings highlight the importance of examining SMV health from a population perspective and reveal the need for further examination of geographic-based SMV health disparities.