Citation

Denneson LM, Kovas AE, Britton PC, Kaplan MS, McFarland BH, Dobscha SK. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2016; 46(3): 363-374.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sltb.12226

PMID

26833711

Abstract

A total of 295 veterans who died by suicide in 2009 across 11 states and received Veterans Affairs (VA) health care in the 6 months prior to death were identified. The suicide risk factors documented and the care received at these veterans' last VA contacts are described, and the study explores whether veterans present differently to VA care (i.e., different risk factors documented or different care settings accessed) based on the proximity of their last contact to suicide. Many veterans were seen in primary care (n = 136; 46%) for routine follow-up (n = 168; 57%). Fifty-three (18%) were assessed for suicidal thoughts; 20 (38%) of whom endorsed such thoughts. Although higher frequencies of some risk factors at last contacts more proximal to suicide compared to those more distal were observed, findings overall highlight the challenges clinicians face detecting enhanced risk prior to suicide.

Language: en