Veteran suicide mortality in Canada from 1976 to 2012

Abstract

Introduction: Suicide prevention for Veterans is a public health priority. However, it has been challenging to study suicide in Canadian Veterans post-release from the military. The Veteran Suicide Mortality Study (VSMS) has assembled data on the risk of death by suicide for Canadian Veterans compared to other Canadians. Methods: This was a record linkage study of Canadian cause of death data from Statistics Canada linked with a cohort of Canadian Veterans from pay data of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). The population-based cohort included Veterans released with Regular Force or Reserve Force Class C service for the period 1976–2012. Death by suicide was identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Estimates of relative risk for suicide were calculated using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) with the Canadian general population (CGP) as the reference. Results: Male Veterans had a higher risk of suicide compared to the CGP (SMR = 1.36 [95% CI, 1.30–1.44]). Female Veterans also had a higher risk (SMR = 1.81 [95% CI, 1.40–2.31]). Suicide risk for Veterans was consistently higher than for the CGP over the 37 years of follow-up. Risk for male Veterans was highest for those under 25 years old and decreased with age, but risk for females was higher than the CGP regardless of age. Discussion: The finding of higher risk of death by suicide for both male and female Veterans compared to the CGP informs the action plans of the recently released suicide prevention strategy. Future studies will identify other characteristics of subgroups of Veterans at higher risk of suicide.

Comparing negative health indicators in male and female veterans with the Canadian general population

“… 37 38 Our finding of greater prevalence of suicidal ideation in both male and female veterans is also in line with prior Canadian research that has observed increased rates of suicide among these two groups compared with the general Canadian population, with highest rates among males. 39 …”

Women Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Canadian Mounted Police: A scoping review

“…37 Women CAF Veterans are more likely to have suicidal ideation than men CAF Veterans, 25,38 and they have an 80%-90% higher risk of suicide than women in the CGP, in comparison to a 40% higher risk for men Veterans compared with men in the CGP. [39][40][41][42] Strikingly, women who release as NCMs are more than 3 times more likely to die by suicide than women who release as officers. 43 RCMP women members think about, plan, and attempt suicide in their lifetime more often than the women in the CGP, and they are at a higher risk of suicide attempts in their lifetime than men RCMP members (4.2% vs. 1.7%).…”

Scoping Review: Ethical Considerations in Online Ethnographic Research With Military Populations

“…For example, they are more likely than those who have never served to have a stigmatized condition, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and suicidal behavior (Lee et al, 2018;U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2020;VanTil et al, 2018). Additionally, in some cases, a Commander's approval is required to participate in a research study, which limits personal agency (U.S. Department of Defense, 2020).…”