Suicide Mortality Among Patients Receiving Care in the Veterans Health Administration Health System

This report examines suicide rates among Veterans Health Administration patients & compares them with general population rates. Suicide mortality was assessed in fiscal year 2001 for patients alive at the start of the fiscal year & with health system use in fiscal years 2000-2001. Deaths from suicide were identified using National Death Index data. Rates among veterans were 43.13 per 100,000 person-years for men & 10.41 per 100,000 person-years for women. Male patients aged 30-79 years had increased risk relative to men in the general population. Female patients aged 40-59 years had greater risk than did women in the general population. Findings from this study offer comparison points for health systems. (38 refs.) JA