Resource Tag: VETERANS

This report  provides trends and insights into the well-being of the military-connected population, following the ten domain topics featured in our Measuring Communities data portal.

Background: The toll associated with suicide goes well beyond the individual who died. This study focuses on a risk factor for veteran suicide that has received little previous empirical attention-exposure to the suicide death of another person. Objective: The study’s primary objective is to describe the mental health outcomes associated with suicide exposure among veterans who served […]

Objective: To apply deep neural networks (DNNs) to longitudinal EHR data in order to predict suicide attempt risk among veterans. Local explainability techniques were used to provide explanations for each prediction with the goal of ultimately improving outreach and intervention efforts. Materials and methods: The DNNs fused demographic information with diagnostic, prescription, and procedure codes. Models were […]

Background Rates of firearm suicide have increased among women Veterans. Discussing firearm access and reducing access to lethal means of suicide when suicide risk is heightened are central tenets of suicide prevention, as is tailoring suicide prevention strategies to specific populations. While research has begun to explore how to optimize firearm lethal means safety counseling […]

Veterans are a group at increased risk for death by suicide. Veteran suicide is a complex multidetermined behavior, and preventing suicide among Veterans requires community collaboration and partnership to grow awareness, reduce stigma, and increase access to suicide prevention resources. This article discusses current theories of suicide including Joiner’s (2005) Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and […]

About This Guide (Brief Version) What will I learn from this guide? The brief version contains the essential information for Veterans to understand how to identify when a fellow Veteran may be at risk for suicide. You will learn the basics of how to talk with someone about making the environment safer to prevent suicide. […]

Suicide among Veterans continues to be a priority issue addressed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition to a variety of services specifically intended to prevent suicide, VA also offers a number of services to address Veterans’ social determinants of health (SDH), several of which may be associated with elevated risk for […]

Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Centers (PRRCs) provide recovery-oriented care to veterans with serious mental illness (SMI). As part of program evaluation, PRRC providers regularly assess recovery-oriented outcomes. Given the high rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among veterans with SMI, understanding such outcomes in relation to suicide risk is crucial. Among […]

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among Veterans, with rates significantly higher than the general population. To address this issue, it is crucial to develop and implement more effective treatments for Veterans with suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors, particularly those in the post-acute suicidal episode (PASE) stage. The present study aims to establish the […]

Background: Rates of firearm suicide have increased among women Veterans. Discussing firearm access and reducing access to lethal means of suicide when suicide risk is heightened are central tenets of suicide prevention, as is tailoring suicide prevention strategies to specific populations. While research has begun to explore how to optimize firearm lethal means safety counseling with […]

Background: Veterans with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be at increased risk of suicide attempts and other forms of intentional self-harm as compared to veterans without TBI or PTSD. Objective: Using administrative data from the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA), we studied associations between TBI and PTSD diagnoses, and […]

Suicide bereavement is a risk factor for suicide and psychiatric illness. Its lifetime prevalence in the general population is estimated at 22%, and in one (US) veteran sample as 47%, but no estimates exist for a UK veteran sample. We aimed to measure the lifetime prevalence of suicide bereavement in a clinical sample of UK […]

Introduction The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates that between 2017 and 2020 veteran suicide rates were 1.57 to 1.66 times greater than nonveterans in the US, after adjusting for age and sex differences.1 This finding does not mean that veteran suicide rates are 1.57 to 1.66 times greater than nonveterans with the same age […]

After serving in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and civil war, Lieutenant Colonel Stéphane Grenier returned to Canada haunted by his experiences. Facing post-traumatic stress disorder and an archaic establishment, he spent ten years confronting-and changing-the military mental health system from within. Coining the term “Operational Stress Injury” to allow the military to see mental […]

Suicide risk among military veterans is an important and ongoing concern. The Veterans Administration (VA) mandates suicide risk screening of all veterans seen for mental health issues, but little is known about the effectiveness of this screening. A retrospective chart review to examine all suicide risk screens at VA San Diego between October and December […]

Campaigns have become popular in public health approaches to suicide prevention; however, limited empirical investigation of their impact on behavior has been conducted. To address this gap, utilization patterns of crisis support services associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) suicide prevention campaign were examined. Daily call data for the National […]

Introduction: Research into the factors resulting in suicide in the military veteran population has yet to reach a consensus. Available research is concentrated on a small number of countries, and there is a lack of consistency with contradictory conclusions. The USA has produced a significant amount of research in a country where suicide is identified as […]

Objective: This study investigated associations between gambling problems and suicidality in Australian veterans. Methods: Data drawn from n = 3,511 Australian Defence Force veterans who had recently transitioned to civilian life. Gambling problems were assessed using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and suicidal ideation and behaviour were assessed using items adapted from the National Survey of […]

Although sleep disruption has emerged as a theoretically consistent and empirically supported suicide risk factor, the mechanistic pathways underlying the sleep–suicide link are less understood. This paper describes the methodology of a study intended to examine longitudinal mechanisms driving the link between sleep and suicide in Veterans at elevated suicide risk. Participants will be 140 […]

The 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report analyzes Veteran suicide data from 2001-2020. Containing the most comprehensive set of data about Veteran suicide mortality to date, the report is the first to evaluate Veteran suicide during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key report findings In 2020, there were 6,146 Veteran suicide deaths, which was […]

Introduction Veteran patients have access to a broad range of health care services in the Veterans’ Health Administration (VHA). There are concerns, however, that all Veteran patients may not have access to timely care. The Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act was passed in 2018 to ensure that eligible Veterans can receive […]

Although there is an increasing number of studies reporting the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population and healthcare workers, relatively less attention has been paid to the veterans. This study aimed to review the existing literature regarding the psychological consequences of COVID-19 on veterans. A systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and […]

Importance: Concerns have been raised since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic that vulnerable populations, such as military veterans, may be at increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Objective: To examine longitudinal trends in STBs in US military veterans during the first 3 years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, setting, and participants: This cohort study is […]