New Insights into Suicide Risk Among U.S. Veterans
Efforts to better comprehend and prevent suicide among U.S. military veterans have taken a significant step forward, thanks to a recent study conducted by a psychologist affiliated with Veterans Affairs in Ann Arbor.
Kevin Saulnier, who serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan and a staff psychologist at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, meticulously analyzed a vast collection of data. He reviewed approximately 270,000 Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluations carried out by the VA from 2019 to 2020.
The study pinpointed several critical factors associated with the increased likelihood of suicide among veterans. These include a history of mental health inpatient stays, access to firearms, and current experiences of suicidal thoughts alongside planning.
According to Saulnier, “For clinicians, who routinely do these evaluations, this study highlights constructs that might be most relevant to informing their assessments of overall risk.”
Statistics reveal that the suicide rate among military veterans is notably higher compared to the general population in the United States.
This research has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.
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