PTSD and Suicide Risk Association: A Look at Data

The United States Surgeon General stated in the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention ..Between 2001 and 2009 an average of 33,000 suicide deaths occurred each year in the United States..in 2009, more Americans died from suicide than from motor vehicle traffic-related injuries. Within DoD, suicide numbers for 2012 reached a high of 349 among the Active and Reserve Component. Estimates state that PTSD afflicts 27 percent of Veterans who served in Afghanistan andor Iraq as well as more than 30 percent of Vietnam Veterans and about 10 percent of Gulf War vets.This study analyzed data from a cohort of Veterans that had a non-fatal suicide attempt between October 1, 2010 and March 31, 2012, reported within the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Application Network SPAN database. Analysis of the data suggests that those diagnosed with PTSD were associated with elevated risk for a non-fatal suicide attempt. The author makes recommendations on how the VA and DoD can minimize stigma, encourage individuals to seek help and reduce potential risk for suicide.