Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now
U.S. flag
An official website of the United States government
Veterans Benefits and Health Care About VA Find a VA Location

VA Health Systems Research

Go to the VA ORD website
Go to the QUERI website

HSR&D Citation Abstract

Search | Search by Center | Search by Source | Keywords in Title

Veterans Justice Programs: Assessing Population Risks for Suicide Deaths and Attempts.

Palframan KM, Blue-Howells J, Clark SC, McCarthy JF. Veterans Justice Programs: Assessing Population Risks for Suicide Deaths and Attempts. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior. 2020 Aug 1; 50(4):792-804.

Dimensions for VA is a web-based tool available to VA staff that enables detailed searches of published research and research projects.

If you have VA-Intranet access, click here for more information vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/dimensions/

VA staff not currently on the VA network can access Dimensions by registering for an account using their VA email address.    Search Dimensions for VA for this citation
* Don't have VA-internal network access or a VA email address? Try searching the free-to-the-public version of Dimensions


Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: Understanding suicide risks among Veteran subpopulations is a national priority. This study assessed risks of suicide, suicide attempts, and other-cause mortality among recipients of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Veterans Justice Program services as compared to other Veteran VHA users. METHODS: Per VHA records, the cohort included 5,401,192 Veterans alive as of January 1, 2013 and with VHA utilization in 2012. Receipt of Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) or Health Care for Reentry Veterans (HCRV) services in 2012 was assessed using encounter codes. Multivariable proportional hazards regression assessed risks of suicide (per National Death Index search results from the VA/DoD Mortality Data Repository) and attempts (per diagnoses and site reports) in 2013-2016, adjusting for demographic and clinical indicators. RESULTS: Compared to other patients, Veterans with VJO encounters had greater risk of suicide (unadjusted HR  =  2.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]  =  2.30-3.40; adjusted HR  =  1.25, 95% CI  =  1.02-1.53) and attempts (unadjusted HR  =  8.88, 95% CI  =  8.45-9.35; adjusted HR  =  1.06, 95% CI  =  1.00-1.11). Veterans with HCRV encounters had elevated risk of suicide attempts (unadjusted HR  =  4.56, 95% CI  =  4.00-5.20; adjusted HR  =  1.42, 95% CI  =  1.24-1.62). Risks were also elevated for other external causes of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Findings document increased risk of suicidal behavior among Veterans Justice Program recipients. These results have informed VHA suicide prevention activities.




Questions about the HSR website? Email the Web Team

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.