Establishing a Research Agenda for Suicide Prevention Among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness (original) (raw)
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Addressing Veteran Homelessness to Prevent Veteran Suicides
Psychiatric Services, 2018
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is shifting its focus from ending veteran homelessness to preventing veteran suicides. With supporting data, this Open Forum argues that VA homelessness services also help address veteran suicides. Analysis of a nationally representative survey of U.S. veterans in 2015 shows that veterans with a history of homelessness attempted suicide in the previous two years at a rate .5.0 times higher compared with veterans without a history of homelessness (6.9% versus 1.2%), and their rates of two-week Psychiatric Services 69:8, August 2018 ps.psychiatryonline.org 937 TSAI ET AL.
Federal Practitioner
Background: Veterans with a history of homelessness and justice involvement are at greater risk for mental health sequelae, including suicide. Observations: A bidirectional relationship exists between criminal justice involvement and housing instability (ie, the institutional circuit). Homelessness and justice involvement often represent a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a number of programs focused on connecting homeless and justiceinvolved veterans to health and social services. This paper reviews existing programing and initiatives within such services to detect risk for suicide and connect these veterans to appropriate evidence-based mental health care. Conclusions: The VA currently has several programs focused on enhancing care for homeless and justice-involved veterans, many of which currently incorporate suicide prevention initiatives. Understanding of factors that may impact health service delivery of suicide risk assessment and intervention may be beneficial in order to enhance veteran suicide prevention efforts.
Addressing Suicide in the Veteran Population: Engaging a Public Health Approach
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2020
Suicide is a national public health issue in America, and it disproportionately affects those who are serving or who have served in the United States military. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made suicide prevention its number one clinical priority. VA is committed to prevent suicide among the entire population of those who have served our country in the military, regardless of whether they make use of any VA services or benefits. Suicide can be prevented through the application of a public health strategy embracing partners at all levels. Following a national strategy, VA has embarked on an effort involving the application of a public health strategy combining both clinically-based and community-focused interventions. This paper describes several examples of these efforts and steps forward.
Suicide Prevention Efforts of the Veterans Health Administration
2012
Responsibility for prevention of veteran suicide lies primarily with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VHA Strategic Plan for Suicide Prevention is based on a public health framework, which has three major components:
Veteran-Specific Suicide Prevention
The Psychiatric quarterly, 2012
CITATIONS 6 READS 88 4 authors, including: Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Cecilia project: early detection and monitoring of Alzheimer using video, audio, transcript analysis with Pattern Recognition techniques View project Dorian A Lamis
Protective Factors for Suicide: A Multi-Tiered Veteran-Driven Community Engagement Project
Journal of Veterans Studies, 2019
Background There are approximately 20 million veterans living in the United States today (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2018a). The military conflicts of the Post 9/11 era, such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, increased combat operations and subsequently grew the size of the military, resulting in the largest surge of reintegrating veterans in recent history. The transition from active duty to veteran status often requires service members to move from certainty, routine, community, and a sense of purpose to uncertainty. Reintegrating veterans are vulnerable to social isolation, anxiety, depression, and exacerbations of post-traumatic stress. In comparison to their civilian peers, veterans of these Post 9/11 conflicts experience elevated rates of mental illness and suicide (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016). However, struggles with mental health are not unique to newly reintegrating veterans alone. Veterans of prior conflicts also experience a high burden of mental illness (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016). For example, in a 2015 assessment of Vietnam veterans, 11.2% had a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), 36.7% had a diagnosis of major depression, and 2.2% struggled with alcohol abuse (Marmar et al., 2015). Further, in 2016, approximately 65% of all veterans who died by suicide were older than 50 years (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2016). Moreover, approximately 20 veterans of all conflicts die from suicide each day (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2018b). According to the Veterans Affairs (2017), suicide risk was 22 percent higher among veterans when compared to their civilian counterparts (after adjusting for the difference in age and sex). The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), academic institutions, and healthcare and community organizations are developing strategies to address this
Background: In an effort to reduce the high rate of suicide among post-9/11 veterans, a collaborative team within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a holistic community-based health promotion program designed to facilitate social and self-connectedness. The purpose of this study was to elicit veteran and stakeholder feedback to prepare the program for piloting and implementation.Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with post-9/11 veterans and veteran stakeholders (e.g., VA clinicians) to elicit feedback regarding the health promotion program. Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Qualitative thematic analysis identified key themes emerging from the focus groups and interviews.Results: Seven focus groups (3 Veteran groups, 4 stakeholder groups) and 3 interviews (2 Veterans, 1 stakeholder) were conducted with 41 participants (14 veterans, 27 stakeholders). Overall, participants had a positive perception of the program. Them...
Scoping Review: Suicide Specific Intervention Programmes for People Experiencing Homelessness
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Background: The homeless population are among the most vulnerable groups to experience suicide ideation and behavior. Several studies have shown that people who are homeless experience more significant suicidal ideation and behavior than the general population. However, there is limited information about what suicide interventions exist, to what extent they are grounded in robust research, and which intervention components effectively reduce suicidal ideation and behavior in the homeless community. This research aimed to characterise the current evidence base in the area of suicide prevention for homeless individuals. Methods: A scoping review guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage framework was conducted and a narrative synthesis was performed. Pubmed, EMBASE, PsychInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Open Grey, and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine were searched up to 8 May 2020. Results: A total of 3209 records were identified through databa...
Yearning to Be Heard: What Veterans Teach Us About Suicide Risk and Effective Interventions
Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 2014
Background: Patients with serious mental illness can be at higher risk for suicide. Most research has focused on determining the risk factors for suicide-related events using quantitative methodologies and psychological autopsies. However, fewer studies have examined patients’ perspectives regarding the experience of suicidal events. Aims: To better understand suicide experiences from the perspective of patients diagnosed with serious mental illness. Method: This study purposively sampled and qualitatively interviewed 23 patients within the Veterans Affairs Hospital who were diagnosed with serious mental illness and who had attempted suicide. Using a phenomenological design, hermeneutic interviews included questions about the precursors, characteristics, and treatment of the suicide events, as well as patients’ recommendations for care. Results: Loneliness, isolation, depression, and hopelessness were commonly described as emotional precursors to the suicide events for all patients, while command hallucinations were reported among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. When evaluating whether treatments were effective, patients focused primarily on the level of empathy and compassion shown by their providers. Conclusion: The most common recommendation for the improvement of care was to increase clinicians’ empathy, compassion, and listening skills. Additionally, efforts to bolster social supports were highlighted as a means to diminish suicide events.
Background: Patients with serious mental illness can be at higher risk for suicide. Most research has focused on determining the risk factors for suicide-related events using quantitative methodologies and psychological autopsies. However, fewer studies have examined patients' perspectives regarding the experience of suicidal events. Aims: To better understand suicide experiences from the perspective of patients diagnosed with serious mental illness. Method: This study purposively sampled and qualitatively interviewed 23 patients within the Veterans Affairs Hospital who were diagnosed with serious mental illness and who had attempted suicide. Using a phenomenological design, hermeneutic interviews included questions about the precursors, characteristics, and treatment of the suicide events, as well as patients' recommendations for care. Results: Loneliness, isolation, depression, and hopelessness were commonly described as emotional precursors to the suicide events for all patients, while command hallucinations were reported among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. When evaluating whether treatments were effective, patients focused primarily on the level of empathy and compassion shown by their providers. Conclusion: The most common recommendation for the improvement of care was to increase clinicians' empathy, compassion, and listening skills. Additionally, efforts to bolster social supports were highlighted as a means to diminish suicide events.