Suicide After Stroke in the United States Veteran Health Administration Population

In the United States (US), suicide is a leading cause of death, and most of these suicides involve firearms, highlighting the importance of lethal means safety in suicide prevention.1,2 US veterans experience a suicide rate 1.5 times higher than US civilian adults and are more likely to use firearms as the means of suicide.3 Risk factors for suicide within this population include demographic factors such as sex, age, race, and level of education, as well as health factors such as smoking status, psychiatric conditions (eg, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, bipolar and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, alcohol or other substance abuse conditions), traumatic brain injury (TBI), activity limitations (eg, difficulty working or attending school), chronic pain, and chronic physical health conditions (eg, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease).
Source: Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - Category: Rehabilitation Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL RESEARCH Source Type: research