Citation

Pitts BL, Whealin JM, Kato J. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2018; 48(6): 642-651.

Affiliation

Clinical Informatics Service Department, Veterans Affairs (VA) Pacific Islands Health Care System, Honolulu, HI, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sltb.12376

PMID

28782133

Abstract

We examined whether risk factors for suicidal behavior depend on age among military veterans in the Pacific Islands (N = 29,595). For veterans under 54 years old, having a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, a drug use disorder, and having a service-related disability predicted suicidal behavior. For veterans 54 years old or older, having a mood disorder predicted suicidal behavior. Having a history of suicidal behavior and a high number of VA health care visits were associated with suicidal behavior for both age groups. Our findings suggest that the predictive value of certain risk factors in veterans in the Pacific Islands may depend on age.

Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Language: en