title: Suicide risk and precipitating circumstances among young, middle-aged, and older male veterans.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk of suicide among veteran men relative to nonveteran men by age and to examine the prevalence of suicide circumstances among male veterans in different age groups (18-34, 35-44, 45-64, and ≥ 65 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (2003-2008) were used to calculate age-specific suicide rates for veterans (n = 8440) and nonveterans (n = 21,668) and to calculate the age-stratified mortality ratio for veterans. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare health status, stressful life events preceding suicide, and means of death among young, middle-aged, and older veterans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Veterans were at higher risk for suicide compared with nonveterans in all age groups except the oldest. Mental health, substance abuse, and financial and relationship problems were more common in younger than in older veteran suicide decedents, whereas health problems were more prevalent in the older veterans. Most male veterans used firearms for suicide, and nearly all elderly veterans did so.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study highlighted heightened risk of suicide in male veterans compared with nonveterans. Within the veteran population, suicide might be influenced by different precipitating factors at various stages of life.
authors.affiliation: Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207, USA. kaplanm@pdx.edu
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Bentson H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: McFarland
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huguet
authors.forename: Marcia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valenstein
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012306:Risk; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*