Skip to content
Home » content

Suicide Rates Double for Male Veterans

Male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as their civilian counterparts, according to a recent study by health researchers at Portland State University and Oregon Health & Science University. The findings are published in the July issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

“We clearly demonstrated that independent of when they served in the military, veterans were all equally at risk for suicide. What’s more, we showed that veterans were at a greater risk of dying of suicide when compared to the non-veteran population,” said Mark Kaplan, lead author and professor in the School of Community Health at Portland State University. “Impaired functional status or disability also appeared to increase the risk of suicide mortality among male veterans.”

Unlike previous research that focused on suicidal behavior among Vietnam-era veterans, and relied almost exclusively on clinical populations, this study evaluated a sample from the general population. The researchers used a large nationally representative data set from 104,026 veterans.

“It is important to study the risk factors for suicide among veterans especially with the returning service members from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Bentson McFarland, M.D., co-author and professor of psychiatry, public health and preventive medicine at OHSU School of Medicine. “Health care providers and family members need to be aware of the fact that veterans are at an increased risk for suicide.”

Other findings of the study include:
* Whites and those with 12-plus years or more of education are at greater risk for suicide.
* The risk of death from other causes such as disease or accidents did not differ between veterans and nonveterans.
* Overweight vets had a lower risk for suicide.
* Activity limitation increased veterans’ risk factors.
* Veterans are 58 percent more likely to be use firearms to commit suicide than nonveterans.

“In light of current veterans coming home with serious physical disabilities and psychiatric problems, their families and health care providers need to be more attentive to the early signs of depression and suicidal behavior, including access to firearms,” Kaplan said.

This study is a prospective follow-up from the 1986–1994 National Health Interview Surveys and linked to the 1986–1997 Multiple Cause of Death file from the National Death Index.

Suicide is a major cause of death in the United States. Approximately 30,000 people commit suicide a year, and another 650,000 are seen in emergency departments after an attempted suicide. Men are four times more likely to kill themselves than women.

Co-authors on the study include Kaplan; McFarland; Nathalie Huguet, research associate, School of Community Health, Portland State University; and Jason Newsom, associate professor, Institute on Aging, Portland State University.

The research was funded with a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

Particulars: Mark Kaplan holds adjunct appointments in psychiatry and family medicine at OHSU, and epidemiology and community medicine at the University of Ottawa, along with teaching at Portland State. His research focuses on using population-wide data to understand suicide risk factors among senior populations. Kaplan has contributed to state and federal suicide prevention initiatives and serves on the American Association of Suicidology Council of Delegates.

Bentson McFarland is an adjunct investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and professor of pharmacy (by courtesy) at Oregon State University College of Pharmacy. In addition, McFarland is a consulting psychiatrist to the Oregon Addictions and Mental Health Division and to the Multnomah County Mental Health and Addiction Services Division and a senior scientist at the Oregon Research Institute.

School of Community Health
The School of Community Health in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University offers a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Health Studies, a minor in Community Health, a Master of Science in Physical Activity and Risk Reduction, and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology. The School also offers a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Promotion as part of the Oregon Master of Public Health. The MPH is a collaborative degree between Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon State University and Portland State University.

http://www.pdx.edu/

Permalink

June 11, 2007

Comments

The issue is the Vet not the Organization. Right?

May 3, 2009 by Anonymous, 8 weeks 4 days ago
Comment id: 36493

The VA has a long history of being asked to defend its Standards and Practices in the area of patient care. As recently as 2007 Congress once again considered the benefit of contracting out the Vets care through an HMO type delivery system. Essentially, Vets would get a card and be allowed to seek care in their community at private hospitals. The vast resources that are spent to just maintain its buildings would be better spent in providing these vets with the most up to date medications and intensive treatment to manage what might be a life long battle with depression.
Treating Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is not new and many Mental Health Professionals in the community and at Universities have this expertise. The VA treats a small number of Vets per month as opposed to the hundreds of non-vets that are seen in many major city hospitals and Trauma Centers. Defending these Suicide Statistics in the private sector would never be tolerated without a tough look at the Treatment that is given and the Professional’s who do not have a better grasp at reading the signs of PTSD and Depression. A skill the VA claims to be better than anyone else at reading?

And replace it with what?

March 10, 2009 by Anonymous, 16 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 35254

Great comment, idiot. If something isn't working right you just "abolish it". Let me guess, you're a right wing conservative tool. I work at and receive care at the VA, and while it has it's drawbacks I would hate to try to find the same level of care anywhere else without being completely bankrupted. Suicide rates are complex. They have something to do with the bureaucracy as you seem to be trying to indicate, but much more to do with VA being underfunded by a federal government that wants to deny the reality that war causes permanent damage to human beings. This is also a government that closes VA hospitals, and shuts down funding for veterans at the exact instant it is sending young men into battle.

VETERAN CONDITIONS

March 3, 2009 by Anonymous, 17 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 35054

With over 400,000 homeless vets, over 12, 000 attempted suicides each year, over 300,000 in state and federal prisons system and another 960,000 on parole or probation, recognizing the fact that the VA and the DOD are draging their feet when it comes to veterans mental health issues. Too many veterans are recieving OTH dischages, for behavioral problems ,adjustment problems, pre existing conditions, and other stigmatizing labels, or borderline miss diagnosis, and directives from the VA to suppress these trends by not diagnosing PTSD, but rather give a diagnosis that the VA dosen't have to care for.

Greenville SC: WWII Veteran

May 10, 2008 by Anonymous, 1 year 7 weeks ago
Comment id: 29753

Greenville SC: WWII Veteran Commits Suicide outside VA Clinic
May, 2008 it is now time to:
Abolish the Veterans Administration
When a World War II Vet sends a message by shooting himself in the head outside a VA clinic, it’s a sign that the Administrators and Employees at the UNITED STATES VETERAN’S ADMINISTRATION are totally out of touch with the mandate of Congress to provide support and care to American Veterans. Rather they are spending 2.5 BILLION DOLLARS on US Taxpayers Credit Cards for trips to Las Vegas, staff parties and first class seating on flights, then going back to their desk the next day and denying services and claims to Veterans. The VA is infested with corruption, unqualified minority employment contracts and ill trained arrogant employees, many of which could not even qualify to work in the private medical sector. The VA must be abolished, A simple solution that can be paid for with the current budget, is the selling off the hospitals, real estate and other assets, and the elimination of thousands of bureaucratic employees who have proven they have absolutely no concern for the welfare of our American Veterans. The veterans can be provided with Government insurance that is being used by off base military personnel and other government employees now. They can then be treated more successfully by local Doctors and Hospitals without waiting months for appointments, driving long distances to Hospitals or having to deal with arrogant, disrespectful, ill tempered and unqualified VA employees. At age 65 the Veteran could then convert to Medicare for continued local medical services. All of this can be accomplished quickly as the plans are already in place. The Veterans Administration no longer exist to provide care for Veterans, but to provide jobs for thousands of bureaucrats. It is now time to let the private medical sector provide health care for great American former servicemen and women. Abolish the Veterans Administration.
From the Greenville (SC) News on April 25:
An 89-year-old World War II veteran bought six bullets from a Greenville SC pawnshop on Thursday before fatally shooting himself outside the Augusta Rd. Veterans Clinic. Grover Cleveland Chapman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head said Greenville County Chief Deputy Coroner Mike Ellis. Chapman told his family, "No matter what I apply for at the VA, they turn me down," his daughter recalled. The next day, the World War II veteran took his own life outside the Clinic.
Harriett Chapman sees her father's April 24 death as his way of sending a message about medical care at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Mr. Chapman had recently lost two battles in a continuous struggle to claim medical benefits. "He felt like the VA turned its back on him and a lot of other veterans," Harriett Chapman said.
He learned in a phone call on the Wednesday before his death that he was going to have to travel to Columbia SC for medical tests, although he had been hoping for a waiver that would have allowed him to get the test done closer to home. More bad news came hours later when he received a letter saying he'd been denied disability. Grover Cleveland Chapman had the letter with him when he shot himself.
The “VA excuse makers” are saying that at 89 Mr. Chapman was probably senile or unstable. If that were true then it is a medical condition that they should have been aware of and provided treatment. But, knowing how the VA treats veterans with total distain and arrogance, most likely he was just tired of the bureaucratic red tape and abuse.
This is another case of a Veteran being treated by a dysfunctional bureaucracy that is incapable of serving our Veterans or changing for the better.

ABOLISH THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION

Suicide rate amongst Vietnam veterans

June 13, 2007 by wordofgodspeak, 2 years 3 weeks ago
Comment id: 23938

Few folks realize that twice as many Vietnam veterans died of suicide than the number who died in combat.

Ron
"Word of God Speak Ministry" - Google it

Post new comment



About us

Science Blog was started in August 2002. It lives, breathes and eats press releases from research organizations around the globe. Most of what you read here are press releases from the outfits named in the stories themselves. Got a news story you think belongs here? Let's talk. The other half of the equation is blog posts from readers like you. So if you have an interest in science, please register and join others like you in an ongoing, vibrant dialog about what makes the world tick. Meantime, please take a minute to read our Privacy Policy and Site Disclaimer.