Authors aimed to identify the association between current asthma status and serious psychological distress among males who served in the U.S. Armed Forces as compared to civilians. An analysis was performed utilizing the 2009 and 2011 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), including 9993 veteran males and 26,999 civilian males.

Findings: After model adjustment, current asthma status was significantly associated with past month and year serious psychological distress among veterans only. In addition, while race/ethnicity and risk behaviors of smoking and/or binge drinking were significantly associated with distress among civilians, no such association was noted among veterans. To the authors' knowledge, this was the first study to demonstrate that the relationship between asthma and serious psychological distress varies by veteran status. Several unique correlates among veterans were also noted. Future preventive strategies for mental health disorders should incorporate these reported differences, including that of asthma comorbidity among veterans.