By the Numbers - June 15, 2015
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The rate at which female veterans between the ages of 18-29 are killing themselves, compared to a similar population of nonveterans, according to a study published online before print in the journal Psychiatric Services -- Changes in Suicide Mortality for Veterans and Nonveterans by Gender and History of VHA Service Use, 2000–2010. When all age groups are taken into consideration, the researchers found, women who have served in the military commit suicide at roughly 6x the rate of women who did not serve.
The researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data from 173,969 "adult suicide decedents" between 2000 and 2010 and found that the number of "observed veteran suicides" (for men and women combined) was 20% higher than expected in 2000, rising to 60% higher by 2010. Notably, since 2003, "the number of suicides among VA-utilizing veterans was less than expected when compared directly with the suicide rate among non-VHA-utilizing veterans."
A Los Angeles Times story about the study explains that "(s)uicide rates are usually expressed as the annual number of deaths for every 100,000 people." For male veterans, according to the study, that number was 32.1, compared to 20.9 for non-veterans. For women, the numbers differed much more dramatically -- 28.7 for veterans and 5.2 for non-veterans.
Claire Hoffman, a VA epidemiologist and the study's lead author, told the Times that a more detailed analysis would be required to fully explain the the data, including where and when the veterans served and for how long. She also indicated that suicide rates may have much to do with who actually joins the military; other recent research found that both men and women who join are more likely to have had a difficult childhood.
12x
The rate at which female veterans between the ages of 18-29 are killing themselves, compared to a similar population of nonveterans, according to a study published online before print in the journal Psychiatric Services -- Changes in Suicide Mortality for Veterans and Nonveterans by Gender and History of VHA Service Use, 2000–2010. When all age groups are taken into consideration, the researchers found, women who have served in the military commit suicide at roughly 6x the rate of women who did not serve.
The researchers analyzed U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data from 173,969 "adult suicide decedents" between 2000 and 2010 and found that the number of "observed veteran suicides" (for men and women combined) was 20% higher than expected in 2000, rising to 60% higher by 2010. Notably, since 2003, "the number of suicides among VA-utilizing veterans was less than expected when compared directly with the suicide rate among non-VHA-utilizing veterans."
A Los Angeles Times story about the study explains that "(s)uicide rates are usually expressed as the annual number of deaths for every 100,000 people." For male veterans, according to the study, that number was 32.1, compared to 20.9 for non-veterans. For women, the numbers differed much more dramatically -- 28.7 for veterans and 5.2 for non-veterans.
Claire Hoffman, a VA epidemiologist and the study's lead author, told the Times that a more detailed analysis would be required to fully explain the the data, including where and when the veterans served and for how long. She also indicated that suicide rates may have much to do with who actually joins the military; other recent research found that both men and women who join are more likely to have had a difficult childhood.