A recent study published online in the American Journal of Public Health revealed interesting conclusions regarding war veterans at suicide risk.

The study was conducted by the University of Michigan and the Department of Veteran Affairs, analyzing data from 807,694 war veterans who had sought treatment for depression in the government’s health care system, from April 1999 to September 2004.



They are war veterans from Vietnam, but also from more recent combats, from the Persian Gulf War and the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Researchers found out that the 18-44 age group presented the greatest suicide risk, while men who were 65 years or older had the second highest risk.

The study shows that overall suicide risk among war veterans, men and women, was 7 to 8 times higher then in the case of civilian population. Male veterans were three times more at risk than female veterans were.

Studies on civilian people show that the risk of suicide rises with age; in the case of the veteran population, this new study presents a higher risk among young veterans.

Interestingly enough, the study’s authors discovered that those who had been treated both for depression and for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were 20 percent less likely to commit suicide than those without PTSD.

Researchers say veterans with PTSD benefit from intense psychiatric care; this is what lowered their suicide risk.

The study’s findings may help in determining which veterans should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of potential suicidal behavior in order to increase systematic efforts to reduce suicide within this specific population.