Noteboom The Law Firm

Study Reveals Risk Factors for Veteran Suicides

January 24, 2011 - A new study has revealed what may very well be specific risk factors for suicide among veterans. These risk factors also show how hard it is to target those veterans most likely to committee suicide, even if they seek medical help. The rate of suicides among veterans is higher than the national average, and if specific risk factors have been established, treatment and intervention become much more successful.  

Rough statistics from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) state about 5,000 veterans commit suicide every year, which translates to about 1 out of every 6 suicides in the U.S. on an annual basis.

The studies focused on the health records of veterans who used VA health care in 1999 and were still alive as of October 1, 2000. Researchers discovered those veterans with psychiatric disorders were twice as likely to commit suicide. Many of those veterans suffering from psychiatric disorders, however, were never diagnosed with those disorders for various reasons.

The strongest psychiatric disorder connected with suicide among veterans is bipolar disorder. Following bipolar, the most associated psychiatric disorders associated with suicide among veterans range from depression to anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Female veterans with psychiatric disorders were more likely to be suicidal than men, and their risk factors were different. The highest risk factor for a female veteran was substance abuse, with bipolar ranking second. Risk patterns varying between sexes is not a phenomenon, and should be noted when further studies are done.