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HSR&D In Progress

September 2023

In This Issue: HSR&D Research on Suicide Prevention

»Table of Contents

Overview: HSR&D Research on Suicide Prevention


Veterans are at particular risk of mental health struggles and have a suicide rate that is 1.5 times higher than that of the overall U.S. population. 1 In the fall of 2021, the White House outlined five priorities for reducing suicide among the military and Veterans:

  • Improve lethal-means safety.
  • Enhance crisis care and facilitate care transitions.
  • Increase access to and delivery of effective care.
  • Address upstream risk and protective factors.
  • Increase research coordination, data sharing, and evaluation efforts.

While causes of suicide are complex, the goal of suicide prevention research is to understand and reduce risk factors and increase resilience. VA’s HSR&D and QUERI programs conduct an array of suicide prevention research that examines predictive modeling, substance use disorders, policy consequences related to Veterans’ choice of services, and more. HSR&D and QUERI research centers and groups that focus on suicide prevention include:


1 Kalvesmaki AF, Chapman AB, Peterson KS, et al. Analysis of a national response to a White House directive for ending Veteran suicide. Health Services Research. June 2022;57(Suppl 1): 32–41.

2 Jointly funded by HSR&D and CSR&D.

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