National Trends in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among US Military Veterans

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent and disabling condition among US military veterans. Prior waves of the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study (NHRVS; 2011-2020) have estimated the lifetime and past-month prevalence of PTSD at 8.0%-9.4% and 4.7%-5.0%, respectively. Updated national surveillance data are needed given demographic changes in the veteran population and evolving patterns of trauma exposure. Data were drawn from the 2025-2026 NHRVS, a nationally representative, web-based survey of 2,636 US veterans. Weighted prevalence estimates of lifetime and past-month PTSD were compared with estimates from prior NHRVS waves (2011, 2013, and 2019-2020). Linear regression assessed associations among trauma burden, PTSD, and functional disability. In 2025-2026, the weighted prevalence of lifetime PTSD was 14.4% (95% CI, 12.6%-16.4%), and the prevalence of past-month PTSD was 7.3% (95% CI, 6.0%-8.9%), both significantly higher than those observed in prior NHRVS waves. Compared with 2019-2020, the prevalence of past-month PTSD was higher among men, white and racial/ethnic minority veterans, and veterans aged 18-59 years. Sudden loss, life-threatening illness or injury, and witnessed violence were the most frequently identified index traumas, whereas forced sexual experiences were associated with the highest conditional risk of PTSD. Greater cumulative trauma burden and PTSD were each strongly associated with increased functional disability. PTSD affects a substantial and growing proportion of US veterans. Cumulative trauma burden and PTSD are strongly associated with functional disability, underscoring the importance of assessing lifetime trauma exposure alongside PTSD symptoms in clinical care and population surveillance.