- New study by the University of Manchester finds that suicide
risk amongst veterans overall is similar to the general
population
- Serving in the military for longer periods of time, and
serving on operational tours were associated with reduced suicide
risk; while younger veterans and those who left after a short
career were more at risk
- Study is one part of improving data and understanding of the
causes and rates of suicide in veterans
A new study from the University of Manchester has found that
veterans are at no greater risk of suicide than the general
population, although some cohorts need additional support.
The study, which linked data between NHS and military records,
also found that veterans over the age of 35 were at a lower risk
of suicide than the general population, although younger veterans
were at increased risk.
The new data was funded by the Ministry of Defence and NHS
England. It looked at data for over 458,000 veterans between 1996
and 2018. During this period 1,086 (0.2%) veterans sadly took
their own lives, which is similar to the overall rate in the
general population.
The findings come as Veterans’ Affairs Minister calls for greater awareness
of the support available, particularly as we head towards the
Christmas period, where some may struggle with their mental
health.
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs said:
This is an important study which will help us ensure we have
targeted veterans care and support.
While it’s important to note that suicide rates amongst veterans
are similar to the general population, any death is a tragedy and
we must help those who need support.
I would strongly urge anyone who is struggling to reach out and
help is available, including through Op COURAGE in England,
dedicated NHS services in Scotland and Wales, and the Veterans’
Support Office in Northern Ireland.
Whilst overall suicide risk is similar to the general population,
the study found suicide rates were 2-4 times higher for veterans
under the age of 25, when compared with the general population of
the same age group. However, suicide rates were lower than the
general population for veterans over 35 years old.
Contrary to popular perceptions, the study also found that those
who have served in a conflict had a reduced risk of suicide.
The study also found that being male, being discharged from the
forces before the age of 34 years, being untrained, and having
served for less than 10 years were risk factors for suicide. The
research also showed that a quarter of veterans who had died by
suicide had been in contact with specialist mental health
services in the 12 months prior to their death.
Levels of unemployment, alcohol and drug misuse, and self-harm
samples were also found to be similar to patients who had not
served in the Armed Forces.
Cathryn Rodway, Lead Study Author and Programme Manager at the
National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety (NCISH)
said:
In this study we linked national databases of those who had left
the Armed Forces and those who had died by suicide and compared
the risk of suicide in nearly half a million veterans with the
general population.
While public perception and some previous studies suggest
combat-related experiences are associated with suicide, our
findings paint a slightly different picture. We found suicide was
no more common than it is in the general population although risk
did appear to be higher in the youngest age groups and those with
short lengths of service. Deployment to a conflict actually
appeared to reduce suicide risk.
Professor Nav Kapur, Professor of Psychiatry and Population
Health at The University of Manchester and senior author of the
study said:
Young veterans with short lengths of service had higher rates of
suicide than young people in the wider population and this might
be the group with the most pressing needs. These findings are
consistent with a much smaller study we carried out over a decade
ago.
While some factors are specific to veterans, other aspects of the
prevention challenge are similar to the general population.
We need to ensure we tackle mental health problems and alcohol
misuse, have high quality services for self-harm, and address the
other health and social factors which may contribute to suicide
in both veterans and non-veterans.
The study is part of a wider body of research examining suicide
in veterans. Veterans and families bereaved by suicide
contributed to the study design. A forthcoming study by the same
authors will explore the role of pre-service vulnerabilities, or
factors that may have influenced later suicide risk by
undertaking an in-depth examination of coroner records.
Other studies are involving veterans and their families in
coproduction events to develop an integrated model of safety for
the veteran community (“One is Too Many”), and conducting
in-depth interviews with veterans’ families bereaved by suicide
to develop an Armed Forces Suicide Bereavement pack.
The full study is available here
