In recent years, the conventional wisdom has been that patients at risk for suicide after being diagnosed with cancer usually were older white males with advanced or poor-prognosis cases.
Suicide Risk Higher in Active-Duty Army Servicemembers Who Carry Weapons
Among U.S. Army servicemembers who own firearms, carrying them, as well as other weapons, and storing them unsecured are associated with greater risk of suicide, according to a recent study.
Suicide of Patient Shines a Spotlight on Traumatic Brain Injury Care at VA
Investigators have linked recent incidents of VA patients dying by suicide to inadequate TBI care, leaving legislators concerned that veterans with traumatic brain injuries are falling through the cracks.
Percentage Rates for Veteran Suicide Up, But New Report Also Underscored Areas of Improvement
A report released by VA shows the veteran suicide rate is the highest it has been since 2018, despite the intense focus the federal government has put on prevention in recent years.
VA OIG Report: VA Audiology Clinics Rarely Screen Tinnitus Patients for Suicide Risk
VA’s audiology clinics see more than 447,000 new patient appointments annually. For many of these veterans this is the one contact they have with VA throughout the year.
Five Things to Know about Augmentation for Treatment Resistant Depression
Approximately half of patients with major depressive disorder fail to achieve adequate response to initial antidepressant treatment. An inadequate response is generally defined as less than 50 percent improvement in depression severity after six to eight weeks of treatment at therapeutic doses. Even partial responders, those who experience some benefit but continue to have significant symptoms, may benefit from treatment optimization or augmentation.
Suicide Rates in Post 9/11 Veterans Rose From 2006 to 2020 Before Decline
Veterans have higher suicide rates compared to the general U.S. population, with suicide rates among post 9/11 veterans steadily increasing from 2006 to 2020 and then declining from 2020 to 2022, according to a recent research letter.
Special Forces Soldiers Less Likely to Attempt Suicide; More Likely to Succeed
U.S. Army special operations forces (SOF) operators—elite soldiers trained in unconventional warfare—are less likely than other soldiers to engage in suicidal behavior. But, because their attempts are more often fatal, SOF have similar rates of self-inflicted death as other soldiers.
Senate VA Committee Hears About Staff Burnout at Veterans Crisis Line
According to former workers at the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), staff burnout is putting veterans at risk because of managers who have no experience as responders, abusive spam callers and a focus on the number of callers served over the quality of that service.
Veterans With Less-Than-Honorable Discharges Face Elevated Suicide Risk
Veterans transition out of military service for many reasons, but how they leave—specifically, the character of their discharge—may carry serious consequences for their long-term mental health, according to a new study.
Military Sexual Trauma Linked to Increased Suicide and Overdose Risk in Older Veterans
Military sexual trauma (MST) is linked to a substantially higher risk of suicide, suicide attempts and drug overdose mortality, according to a new study.
What Factors Link Bipolar Disorder so Strongly to Veteran Suicidality?
Bipolar disorders (Types I and II) are serious mental health conditions characterized by extreme mood swings. Those include periods of intense emotional highs—mania or hypomania, according to which type—and periods of intense depression.
For Younger Veterans, ‘Camaraderie’ Is an Important Feature of VA Healthcare
With all of the political debate about the increasing privatization of VA care—the Trump administration and many Republicans pushing it, while many Democrats are resisting—the voice of one important stakeholder group might be drowned out.
Small Set of Risk Factors Identified for Subsequent Veteran Suicide
The standardized suicide risk assessment that has been implemented across the VHA healthcare system appears to only identify a few concepts that are associated with subsequent suicide, including suicidal ideation, firearm access and preparatory behaviors, according to a recent study.
Women Veterans With Substance Abuse More Likely to Die by Suicide
Among U.S. military veterans with addiction diagnoses, women are more likely to die by suicide than men and at younger ages, according to a new study.
First-Line PTSD Therapies Lower Veteran Suicide Risk, but Fewer Than 9% Receive Them
Suicide prevention is the top clinical priority of the VA. Given the higher prevalence of PTSD among veterans and its strong association with veteran suicide risk, it is essential to evaluate whether and how the treatments veterans receive for PTSD through the VA are influencing that risk.
Suicide Rates Continue to Rise, Especially for Active-Duty U.S. Servicemembers
Suicide deaths per 100,000 servicemembers were 9% higher in 2023 than in 2022, according to a report from the DoD, which advises that 523 servicemembers took their own lives last year.
Navy Investigates Sailor Suicides; Exacerbated by Shipyard Maintenance Periods
The Navy has been under public scrutiny in recent years after experiencing a rash of suicides aboard multiple ships, many of them undergoing maintenance at shipyards.
Study: Vietnam War-Era Veterans Not at Increased Risk of Suicide Mortality
Veterans who served in the Vietnam War era, either in theater or not deployed, are not at increased risk of suicide mortality compared with the U.S. population, although the number of suicides among these veterans is noteworthy and merits the attention of mental health professionals and policymakers, according to a recent study.
Vet Centers Don’t Always Appropriately Document, Address Veteran Suicide Risk
VA’s Vet Centers are repeatedly falling short when it comes to properly assessing and documenting veterans’ suicide risk, according to department watchdogs.
Study: Vietnam War-Era Veterans Not at Increased Risk of Suicide Mortality
Veterans who served in the Vietnam War era, either in theater or not deployed, are not at increased risk of suicide mortality compared with the U.S. population, although the number of suicides among these veterans is noteworthy and merits the attention of mental health professionals and policymakers, according to a recent study.
Groups Funded to Help Prevent Veterans Suicides Overwhelmed by Paperwork
For the past two years, VA has overseen the distribution of grants to community organizations whose work is designed to help prevent veteran suicide.
Despite Expanded Efforts by VA, Veteran Suicides Rose Slightly in Recent Report
A new VA report revealed that 6,392 veterans died by suicide in 2021, the most-recent year for which data was available. That was 114 more than in 2020.
No Benefit From Hospital Stay for Some Suicidal Veterans
Hospitalization for patients seeking emergency care immediately after a suicide attempt appeared beneficial, but that was not the case with those who had suicide ideation or whose attempt occurred more than a day before, according to a new study.
Anti-Suicide Program Offering Free Emergency Care Shows Some Success
At the beginning of this year, VA announced a program whereby veterans in suicidal crisis could go to any VA or non-VA healthcare facility for free emergency healthcare.
Concern Is Growing About Sharp Increase in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Veteran Suicide Rates
Growing suicide rates among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) veterans are of increasing concern, according to a new study.
TBI Triples Suicide Rate Among Veterans vs. General US Population
As suicide deaths have reached shocking highs among American adults as a whole, the rates for U.S. veterans are even higher—57.3% greater than for nonveterans.
Veteran Firearm Owners Support Some Safety Counseling in Clinical Settings
Most U.S. veterans who own firearms believe that clinicians should discuss firearm safety, if the patient or the patient’s family members are at increased risk of firearm injury, according to a recent study.
Businesses, Nonprofits Join Forces to Help Reduce Veteran Suicide
“You are not in this fight alone.”
Alternative Measurement Finds Slightly Higher Veteran Suicide Rate Than General Population
By any measure, suicide rates for veterans are higher than the general U.S. population; how much higher, however, can vary greatly by how the comparison group is defined.