BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- A new study of
suicides among depressed U.S. military veterans, published Tuesday, shows that
the risk for suicide appears highest among younger, white, non-Hispanic
veterans.
This large Veterans Affairs study, conducted by
researchers from the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the University of
Michigan Health System and U-M Depression Center, uses government data for
807,694 veterans of all ages diagnosed with depression and treated at any
Veterans Affairs facility nationwide between 1999 and 2004.
The investigators found the overall suicide risk was
7 to 8 times higher compared with that in the general population.
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.
Those findings are at odds with suicide trends among
the general population, where younger depressed people are typically at lower
risk than older individuals, the researchers said.
Lead researcher Kara Zivin said the finding for
veterans "wasn't what we expected, and our data doesn't allow us to figure out
why that happened." She also said the finding should serve as a heads-up to
doctors that a veteran's youth does not make him or her any less of a risk for
suicide -- and might even add to the risk.
Due to a lack of data, the study was not able to
assess the impact of specific military activity, such as active combat, on risks
for depression and suicide.
The real challenge, experts agreed, is to make sure
that all veterans struggling with depression get the care they need.
"This is an important study and adds a lot to what we
know about this population, veterans who seek treatment at the VA system," said
Mark Kaplan, a professor of community health at Portland State University.
(Agencies)
