Younger white male vets, more suicide risk

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- The predictors of suicide among U.S. veterans in depression treatment differ from those seen in the general U.S. population, a study found.

Researchers at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, the University of Michigan Health System and University of Michigan Depression Center found younger, white, non-Hispanic men under age 44 had the highest risk among the veterans. Veterans with substance abuse issues, and those who had been hospitalized for psychiatric reasons in the year before their depression diagnosis, also had a higher suicide risk.

Kara Zivin of the University of Michigan and colleagues analyzed data from 807,694 veterans of all ages diagnosed with depression and treated at any VA facility from 1999 to 2004.

The study, published online in advance of publication in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health, found depressed veterans who did not have a service-connected disability were more likely to commit suicide than those who did. This may be due to greater access to treatments among service-connected veterans, or more stable incomes due to compensation payments, Zivin said.

Older veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in addition to depression had a lower overall rate of suicide.

© 2007 United Press International.