Successful Aging Among Older U.S. Military Veterans: National Trends, Correlates, and Clinical Implications

Contemporary, nationally representative data on the prevalence and correlates of successful aging among older U.S. veterans are limited.

Data were analyzed from 1,944 veterans aged ≥60 years (mean = 74.1) who participated in the 2025-2026 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Successful aging was assessed using a composite measure that integrated self-ratings of successful aging with multidimensional indicators of well-being. Multivariable logistic regression and relative weights analyses were conducted to identify key correlates of this measure of successful aging.

Overall, 78.0% of veterans rated themselves as aging successfully, compared with 82.1% in 2011 and 78.8% in 2019-2020. Sense of significance, a core component of meaning in life, accounted for the largest proportion of explained variance in the composite successful aging measure (20.3%), followed by depressive symptoms (13.4%) and hope (12.0%). Social support, optimism, and sense of coherence accounted for moderate proportions of variance (8.4%-10.6%), whereas medical conditions contributed minimally (<2%).

Successful aging remains common among older veterans and is strongly associated with modifiable psychosocial factors, including meaning in life, depression, hope, social support, and optimism. Interventions targeting these resources may help promote successful aging and overall well-being in this population.