Suicide among Homeless Veterans, 2000—2008

Homelessness, both among Veterans and in the overall population, is a significant contributor to premature mortality – generally as well as for specific causes of death including substance abuse, cardiopulmonary disease, cancer, and suicide. For example, the risk for suicide among homeless populations has been estimated to be two (males) to five (females) times higher than among those who are not homeless. And while links between homelessness and preventable mortality have been well documented, little is known about the specific mechanisms that lead to this association; whether Veteran status mitigates or exacerbates this association; and whether this association can be modified by provision of medical, psychiatric, social and housing services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This information is needed to guide the development of effective programs and to reduce the burden of preventable mortality among members of this vulnerable population. The proposed presentation will provide results from a study of suicide mortality among Veterans who have received VA services between the years 2000-2008. Data for this project were obtained from two sources: (1) intake assessments of homeless Veterans or those at high risk for suicide and (2) all-cause mortality data obtained from the National Death Index. The crude rate of suicide among homeless Veterans was 43.8 per 100,000 assessments (2000-2008) - approximately 10% higher than the rate of suicide among Veterans who were not homeless. Results from these analyses and consideration of the policy and service implications of the current will be discussed.