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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Tiffany A. DMello, MPH¹, Melinda Eaton, DVM, MPH¹, Philip L. Gould, MD, MPH¹, Gwyneth L. Vance, MPH¹, and Steven E. Pflanz, MD². (1) Epidemiology Services Branch, Air Force Institute for Operational Health, 2513 Kennedy Circle, Brooks City Base, TX 78235, 210-536-4714, tiffany.dmello.ctr@brooks.af.mil, (2) Office of the Surgeon General, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, Skyline 3, Suite 1501, 5201 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041

INTRODUCTION: Developed as a component of the Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP), the Suicide Events Surveillance System (SESS) is a web-based application for monitoring completed and non-fatal suicide events among US Air Force (AF) populations. The purpose of this study was to utilize this database to describe the epidemiology of suicide in the AF and identify groups at greatest risk for suicide. METHODS: SESS is a passive surveillance tool in which military personnel enter the suicide event, demographics and medical information for each case. All completed suicides that occurred between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2005, were extracted and analyzed using Stata 8. RESULTS: During the study period there were 216 completed suicides among active duty AF personnel, resulting in an average rate of 10.0/100,000/year. The majority of these events (N=82, 38.0%) occurred in males, ages 18-24, followed by males, ages 25-34 (N=65, 30.1%). There were 53(24.5%) suicides in males >34 years and 16(7.4%) in women of all ages. Some variation was observed by gender and age, but the most commonly reported risk factors were marital (N=116, 53.7%), work (N=92, 42.6%) and military legal problems (N=74, 34.3%). Previous attempts were reported in 34(15.7%) individuals. Serious psychiatric illnesses were the least prevalent risk factors. DISCUSSION: By targeting modifiable risk factors, the AFSPP has been integral in reducing the rate of suicide among AF personnel. The low prevalence of psychiatric illness in AF suicides compared to civilians is noteworthy and may influence decisions regarding suicide prevention and public health policy.

Learning Objectives:

• To identify the most common risk factors present in completed suicides among Active Duty Air Force personnel (2000-2005)

Keywords: Suicide,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No