Resource Tag: VETERANS

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 […]

Introduction Veteran suicide rates continue to be unacceptably high, with the most common risk factor being a past suicide attempt (SA). However, some characteristics of suicidal ideation (SI) and behavior among Veterans hospitalized for suicide risk remain under-reported. Materials and Methods One hundred and eighty-three Veterans hospitalized for either an SA or SI with intent […]

Introduction This study validated Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Suicidal Ideation (SUI), Suicide Potential Index (SPI), and S_Chron scales against chronic and acute suicide risk factors and symptom validity measures. Methods Afghanistan/Iraq-era active-duty and Veteran participants completed a prospective study on neurocognition (N = 403) that included the PAI. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (specifically item 9) administered at […]

Background Veterans’ success with navigating the challenges of transition from military service may contribute to their risk for suicidal outcomes. The concept of well-being can help to conceptualize and assess successful navigation of reintegration challenges and may serve as an optimal target for public health-oriented suicide prevention. Methods The relationship between US veterans’ psychosocial well-being […]

Background: Modern warfare in a civilian setting may expose combatants to severe moral challenges. Whereas most of these challenges are handled effectively, some potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) may have deleterious psychological effects on the combatants, such as suicide ideation (SI). Self-disclosure, which includes sharing distressing thoughts and emotions, has been recognized as a protective factor against SI […]

Introduction This evaluation examined the role of safety plans, one of a host of clinical suicide prevention interventions available for veterans through the United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ national network of health care facilities managed by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Materials and Methods Interviews were conducted with veterans who had experienced suicidal ideation […]

Objective: Suicide by former United States military service members is of great public health concern, and one area, veterans’ suicide attempts involving firearms, is understudied. One group that has a unique perspective on this are veterans with a psychiatric admission following a firearm-related suicide crisis, such as making a suicide plan or a suicide rehearsal with […]

Background Justice-involved Veterans experience notable risk for psychosocial stressors (e.g., homelessness) and psychiatric multimorbidity, which can result in complex clinical presentations. However, research examining how such factors coalesce to impact risk for suicide remains limited. Methods We conducted a latent class analysis of 180,454 Veterans accessing Veterans Health Administration (VHA) justice-related services from 2005 to […]

Introduction Examinations of risk factors for suicide attempt in United States service members at high risk of mental health diagnoses, such as those with combat injuries, are essential to guiding prevention and intervention efforts. Methods Retrospective cohort study of 8727 combat-injured patients matched to deployed, non-injured patients utilizing Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs administrative […]

Objectives  To examine the association between frailty and risk of suicide attempt and how risk differs based on components of frailty. Design, Setting, and Participants  This nationwide cohort study integrated databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient and outpatient health care services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data, and national suicide data. Participants […]

Importance  Social determinants of health (SDOHs) are known to be associated with increased risk of suicidal behaviors, but few studies use SDOHs from unstructured electronic health record notes. Objective  To investigate associations between veterans’ death by suicide and recent SDOHs, identified using structured and unstructured data. Design, Setting, and Participants  This nested case-control study included veterans who received […]

Objective Chaplains are key care providers in a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention, which is a priority area for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). In a cohort of 87 VA and military chaplains who completed the Mental Health Integration for Chaplain Services (MHICS) training–an intensive, specialty education […]

Objectives  To examine the association between frailty and risk of suicide attempt and how risk differs based on components of frailty. Design, Setting, and Participants  This nationwide cohort study integrated databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) inpatient and outpatient health care services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data, and national suicide data. Participants […]

Background: In the USA, deaths due to suicide, alcohol, or drug-related causes (e.g., alcohol-related liver disease, overdose) have doubled since 2002. Veterans appear disproportionately impacted by growing trends. Limited research has been conducted regarding the relationship between community-level factors (e.g., rurality, community distress resulting from economic conditions) and the presence of spatial clustering of suicide, alcohol-related, […]

Introduction Suicide is a substantial public health burden, particularly among veterans. Risk factors have been delineated for suicide; however, the dynamic interrelations between risk factors have not been fully examined. Such research has the potential to elucidate processes that contribute to suicide risk between individuals with a past suicide attempt (attempters) and those without a […]

Background A large corpus of research indicates that the media plays a key role in shaping public beliefs, opinions and attitudes towards social groups. Some research from the United States indicates that military Veterans are sometimes framed in a stereotypical and stigmatizing manner, however there is a lack of research on Canadian media coverage of […]