Preventing Veteran Suicide

September 1, 2025

It is a heartbreaking reality that suicide rates among Veterans remain stubbornly high-57% higher in 2020 than that of non-Veteran adults. ^[1] To support VA's commitment to reduce suicide among Veterans, VA's Health Systems Research (HSR) is examining the emotional, medical, social, and other drivers of Veteran suicide and developing innovative therapies and proven implementation strategies to combat suicide among Veterans.

The Suicide Prevention Research Impact Network (SPRINT) Consortium of Research serves as a national resource on Veteran suicide prevention research and helps advance and accelerate VA suicide prevention projects through a nationwide network of approximately 440 VHA researchers and operational partners. SPRINT investigators collaborate with VA's Office of Suicide Prevention, Office of Rural Health, National Center for PTSD, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, and many other national partners. SPRINT's priorities include:

• Promote lethal means safety through initiatives that address Veterans' firearm-owning culture.
• Enhance community engagement, including Veterans' family, friends, and peers, and Veterans not currently enrolled in VA healthcare.
• Address the effects of interpersonal violence on Veterans' suicide risk and develop interventions to improve emotional regulation.

In addition, ORD's Suicide Prevention Research Actively Managed Portfolio (Suicide Prevention AMP) oversees research that enhances the understanding of suicide and prevents suicidal behavior. The Suicide Prevention AMP supports a range of projects that employ the full spectrum of research methods, including clinical and implementation studies. Research areas supported by the Suicide Prevention AMP include:

• Factors associated with increased risk of suicide or suicidal behavior, including attempts, self-harm, and ideation.
• Measures of suicide risk or suicide risk screening programs.
• Suicide prevention interventions. These might be directed at the individual, the family and/or close supports, or the community or individuals who have contact with and potential to intervene with Veterans at elevated risk for suicide, such as clinicians or other gatekeepers.

Veterans who live in rural areas have a higher suicide risk than urban Veterans. ^[2] The July-August 2025 issue of HSR's Veterans' Perspectives featured rural Veterans' thoughts on the high suicide rates in their communities, as well as priorities for future research that considers rural Veterans' experiences and perspectives.

Recent HSR Studies on Suicide Prevention Include:

• The Effect of Virtual Mental Health on Suicide Risk . This study evaluated whether virtual mental health service use affects the risk of suicide-related events (SREs). Findings showed that a 1% increase in the percentage of virtual mental health visits relative to total visits was associated with a nearly 3% decrease in SREs among Veterans. In the study's sample, virtual mental health visits comprised 45% of all mental health visits. The study's results suggest that offering virtual mental health services, in addition to in-person care, is an effective component of a suicide prevention strategy.
• Veteran Subgroups at High Risk of Suicide After COVID-19 Infection . In this study, researchers identified subgroups of Veterans at high risk of post-COVID-19 suicide attempts or other self-directed violence (SDV). Findings showed that two distinct Veteran subgroups accounted for 87% of suicide attempts or other SDV events within 12 months of COVID-19 infection: Veterans younger than age 65 with mental health conditions, and Veterans age 65 or older with chronic physical conditions. The findings suggest that tailored suicide prevention approaches might be required to address unique risk and protective factors within each subgroup.
• The Association of Moral Injury and Suicide Among Veterans . This study investigated the connection between moral injury-the distressing psychological, behavioral, social, and sometimes spiritual aftermath of witnessing, failing to prevent, or participating in events that contradict one's values and beliefs-and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Findings showed that screening positive for moral injury was associated with approximately three times higher odds of experiencing suicidal ideation in the past two weeks and six times higher odds of attempting suicide in one's lifetime. The findings suggest that moral injury is a distinct suicide risk factor for Veterans, and screening for moral injury may help reduce Veteran suicides.

HSR's Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) plays an important role in VA's suicide prevention efforts as it accelerates VA's use of science-based research, tools, and methods to combat suicide and improve the health and well-being of all Veterans. QUERI's Partnered Evaluation Initiative on Suicide Prevention, for example, is examining the effectiveness of VA's Veteran Sponsorship Initiative+, a precision medicine approach to suicide prevention that addresses the risk factors associated with the transition from the military to civilian life-a period known as the "deadly gap." Veterans face the highest risk of suicide during this time.

^[1] 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, VA Suicide Prevention, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, September 2022

^[2] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3496440/