The relationship of disability and employment for veterans from the 2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)

BACKGROUND: Veterans with disabilities, especially those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) have difficulty obtaining and maintaining competitive employment. OBJECTIVE: To determine if there are significant differences in employment between veterans with and without disability, between veterans with a disability and nonveterans with a disability, and to investigate the association of veteran status and disability with employment. METHODS: Chi square analyses were conducted on data obtained from the 2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to determine if significant differences in employment occurred between veterans with disabilities, veterans without disabilities and nonveterans with disabilities. Multivariate regression analyses were used to determine how veteran status and disability are associated with employment. RESULTS: Significant differences in employment were found between veterans with and without a disability; however, no significant differences existed in employment between veterans and nonveterans with a disability. Multivariate analysis showed that veteran status (aOR = 1.80), having any disability (aOR = 7.29), social disability (aOR = 3.47) or a cognitive disability (aOR = 3.16) were associated with not being employed. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans with disabilities are more likely not to be employed than veteran populations without disabilities. Veterans; however have unique disabilities, different than nonveterans with disabilities, that need to be addressed, such as social and cognitive disabilities resulting from TBI and PTSD. Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of employment programs and policies designed to address the unique issues faced by veterans with disabilities.