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Health Services Research & Development

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SPRINT Priorities

One of SPRINT's main goals is to work with stakeholders, including our operations partners, to support a focused health services suicide prevention research agenda for Veterans. This process includes identifying high research priority areas that can be disseminated to the field and be supported by SPRINT Planning Awards.

In August 2022, SPRINT Core Investigators met with operations partners (Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention [OMHSP]; HSR&D, representatives from its other partner groups, and additional stakeholders and experts to update a list of priority areas. Specific factors considered in creating the priority list include current OMHSP suicide prevention priorities as well as:

1) Evidence on suicide prevention interventions

2) Active funded suicide prevention research projects

Among the many possible priorities identified, the following three specific areas have been selected by SPRINT as especially high priorities to support in Fiscal Year 2023:

  • Lethal Means Safety
    • Includes research on use of messaging related to reducing access to lethal means
    • Includes research addressing firearm owning culture
  • Community
    • Includes focus on reaching/intervening with Veterans who are not engaged with or who have left VA care
    • Includes public messaging or outreach to Veterans and organizations to generate impact
  • Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)
    • Includes developing/implementing interventions targeting SDoH that contribute to elevated risk for Veterans
    • Includes research on understanding SDoH in high-risk Veteran subpopulations (e.g., rural, geriatric)

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Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.