| Summary: | Suicide is a national public health problem with 48,344 estimated United States (US) deaths in 2018, making it a top-10 leading cause of death. Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population, after adjusting for age and sex. In 2018, Veterans represented 8% of the US adult population but accounted for 13.8% of suicide deaths. Thus the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has made suicide prevention a top priority. Many VA initiatives focus on identifying and treating Veterans determined to be at elevated risk for suicidal behaviors. These initiatives include maintaining a Veterans Crisis line as well as preventions programs through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), such as the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health - Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACHVET) program, Caring Contacts to Veterans, yearly screenings for suicide risk, and hiring Suicide Prevention Coordinators at each Medical Center. These VHA-specific initiatives may account for reduced suicide rates among Veterans who use VA health care compared with those who do not. However, two-thirds of Veterans do not use the VA for health care. Community-based approaches to suicide prevention outside of VA health care settings may provide opportunities to reach Veterans. The National Strategy for Suicide Prevention released by the Office of the Surgeon General, the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, VA's National Suicide Prevention Strategy and the President's Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) Executive Order all call for a public health approach to suicide prevention. Population-based approaches targeting individuals across the spectrum of suicide risk may serve as adjunctive or complementary strategies to clinical interventions to help address this public health problem
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