Suicide Rates Between Veterans and Non-veterans
Veterans are not the only demographic who have seen an increase in suicide rates within the United States. Appendix A shows that between 1999 and 2018 the suicide rate increased by 35%, from 10.5 per 100,000 to 14.2 for a total of 48,344 deaths and an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts in 2018. It is important to note during this timeframe the suicide rate increased by a rate of .8% per year from 1999 to 2006, and increased to 2.1% per year from 2006 to 2018. The increasing rate of suicide has made it the tenth-leading cause of death for all ages in the U.S., though it is the second-leading cause of death for those between 10-34 years old. To determine which groups are most at risk, the total suicide count can be broken down by four criteria: sex, age, race, and location. |
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Sex The rate of suicide deaths by males comprises the majority of total suicide deaths; males are 3.5 times more likely than women to die by suicide on average. Between 1999 and 2018 the rate of suicide deaths by males rose 28%, from a rate of 17.8 in 1999 to 22.8 in 2018. During this same time period the rate of suicide deaths among women rose from 4.0 in 1999 to 6.2 in 2018 for an increase of 55%. As of 2017, males represent 79% of all U.S. suicides even though women attempt suicide three times as often as males. The reason for this imbalance can be linked to the method of suicide; firearms are the most common method used by males and are highly lethal, while females most commonly use less lethal means such as ingesting poison and suffocation. There are direct correlations between the trends of suicide by sex between the nonveteran and veteran populations in the U.S. For instance, males die by suicide at much higher rates than women in both populations. Males are also more likely to use highly lethal means such as firearms, while women more frequently use less lethal means such as poisoning and suffocation. However, males and women veterans differ from their civilian counterparts regarding firearm suicide; both sexes in the veteran community are more likely to use firearms when dying by suicide. Additionally, women veterans die by suicide at a much higher rate (15.9 per 100,000) than nonveteran women, making it difficult to draw deeper inferences between the two populations. |
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Age
Among the age brackets of 10-14, 15-24, and 25-34 suicide is the second-leading cause of death for an average of 16.74 per 100,000. However, broken down by age, the 55-64 age bracket has the highest incidence of suicide at 20.2 per 100,000 as of 2018, narrowly rising above the 45-54 age bracket where the rate of suicide is 20.04 per 100,000. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, younger groups have had consistently lower suicide rates than middle-aged and older adults. The incidence of suicide by age group in the nonveteran population does not show a correlation with the veteran population, where suicide rates are highest in the 18-34 age groups at a rate of 44.5 per 100,000. |
Race
In the U.S., White people die by suicide at rates much higher than any other race barring American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN); White people also make up the majority of the U.S. population as well as the military and veteran community. In the medical community, there are several theories that may explain why White people die by suicide so frequently, but none are conclusive. The most frequently noted theory points to the ongoing opioid epidemic which largely affects white, rural communities. Though they only make up 1.3% of the U.S. population, American Indian and Alaskan Natives have the highest rate of suicide among all ethnic groups in the country. According to the CDC these two indigenous populations die by suicide at a rate of 22.4 deaths per 100,000. Among the AI/AN veteran community the rate is even higher at 31.5 deaths per 100,000. In comparison, the rate of suicide among Black, Asian, and Hispanic nonveteran populations ranges from 6.9-7.1 per 100,000. The high incidence of suicide in AI/AN communities can be linked to existing health and societal disparities that negatively impact indigenous tribes in the U.S. Chief among these disparities is a lack of access to mental health care such as psychiatrists and psychologists. Alcohol abuse and untreated depression are high among AI/AN populations due to poor economic opportunities on reservations; autopsies performed on AI/AN suicides were much more likely to test positive for marijuana, alcohol, or amphetamines than White suicides. There is a correlation between the rate of suicide by race in the nonveteran and veteran population of the U.S. White people and AI/AN people have far higher rates of suicide than Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations. Though there are culturally significant issues that must be noted, such as alcoholism among AI/AN people and opioid abuse among White people, geographic location may also play an important role. AI/AN communities are more likely to be rural if they are living within a reservation. Additionally, White people make up 77.8% of the total population living in rural communities in the U.S.. Geographic location and its impact on suicide rates will be explored in the next section. |
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Location The occurrence of suicide is much higher in rural Southern and Midwestern areas than in heavily developed and urban states in the Northeast and West. There are a number of contributing factors that explain this discrepancy. As previously stated, mental health services such as psychiatrists, psychologists and pharmacies can be scarce or non-existent in rural communities. Rural communities suffer from a shortage of mental health care professionals that are able to reside in each community which leads to long wait-times. Rural communities also tend to be spread out over large distances, creating many small and close-knit communities. Rural residents wishing to receive mental health care may sometimes have to travel hours to the nearest population center to receive care and may be forced to pay out of pocket for treatment when they do. Due to the close-knit nature of these small towns, lack of anonymity can also be a barrier to treatment out of fear of embarrassment or fear. Rural communities also suffer from a similar mental health stigma that the military and veteran communities do. The fear of embarrassment or being labeled ‘crazy’ by one’s neighbors can be a powerful deterrent to seeking mental health care. The lack of anonymity in a small town may also cause fear of gossip amongst neighbors, though in general individuals in rural communities are similar to urban communities that they contribute neither positive or negative characteristics to a personal with depressive symptoms. Like the veteran community, individuals in rural areas may be less willing to admit the existence of depressive symptoms out of fear of the stigma they perceive is attached to mental health, despite evidence showing such a stigma is not attached to mental health care. *SPEAK ON HIGH ALTITUDE BRIEFLY* |
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Conclusions on Nonveteran Suicide Statistics
There are many correlations between suicides in the nonveteran population and veteran population. White people have the second highest rate of suicide in the U.S. and have the highest rate of suicide in the veteran community. While AI/AN people have comparable rates of suicide, they make up a much smaller segment of the country, meaning the vast majority of suicide deaths in the U.S. are attributed to white people. Within the White population, there is large discrepancy regarding the rate of suicide between White males and White females; men of every ethnicity have much higher rates of suicide than women. The veteran community follows the same trend; White males make up the majority of suicide deaths. However, within the military and veteran community White males are disproportionately represented in comparison to the greater U.S. population by a wide margin. Up to a quarter of all White male veterans come from rural areas of the country that are often higher in poverty rates and lower in education rates than more developed areas of the country. When veterans return home to these rural areas, they may experience a lack of employment opportunities and appropriate health care relating to depression of suicidal ideation.
There are many correlations between suicides in the nonveteran population and veteran population. White people have the second highest rate of suicide in the U.S. and have the highest rate of suicide in the veteran community. While AI/AN people have comparable rates of suicide, they make up a much smaller segment of the country, meaning the vast majority of suicide deaths in the U.S. are attributed to white people. Within the White population, there is large discrepancy regarding the rate of suicide between White males and White females; men of every ethnicity have much higher rates of suicide than women. The veteran community follows the same trend; White males make up the majority of suicide deaths. However, within the military and veteran community White males are disproportionately represented in comparison to the greater U.S. population by a wide margin. Up to a quarter of all White male veterans come from rural areas of the country that are often higher in poverty rates and lower in education rates than more developed areas of the country. When veterans return home to these rural areas, they may experience a lack of employment opportunities and appropriate health care relating to depression of suicidal ideation.