Statistics taken from Dr. Janet Kemp and Dr. Robert Bossarte's 2012 Suicide Data Report

  • More than 69% of Veteran suicides are among those age 50 years and older
  • Male Veterans who die by suicide are older than non-Veteran males.
  • The age distribution of female Veterans and non-Veterans is similar.
  • Veterans who died from suicide were more likely to be married, widowed, or divorced.
  • Preliminary evidence suggests that the number of non-fatal suicide events for VHA utilizing Veterans has been decreasing since September, 2011.
  • Rates of non-fatal suicide events decrease with age.
  • A majority of non-fatal events were the result or overdose or other intentional poisoning.
    • 02.1% - Sequelae of intentional self-harm – 970
    • 02.3% - Jumping - moving object - 1,106
    • 06.5% - Hanging, strangulation, suffocation - 3,045
    • 10.3% - Sharp object - 4,842
    • 10.9% - Firearms - 5,148
    • 11.5% - Intentional self-harm by unspecified means - 5,425
    • 51.0% - Poisoning - 24,058
    • 5.4% - Other