# Exposure to Suicide Among Post 9/11 Veterans: Prevalence, Correlates and Treatment Needs

> **NIH VA I01** · MINNEAPOLIS VA  MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Background: The toll of suicide goes way beyond the death of an individual. Those exposed (defined as knowing
the person) to a suicide death are at elevated risk for mental illness, physical disorders, impaired social
functioning, and fatal and nonfatal suicide behavior. Conclusions from the handful of studies that have examined
this topic among Veterans are limited by distinct samples, limited sample sizes and other methodological issues.
Additionally, the numbers of women and minority race/ethnicity service members and Veterans in these studies
were too small to examine what are likely critical differences by sex and race.
Significance: This study will provide foundational information on an understudied risk factor for suicide in a
cohort of Veterans at increased suicide risk – post 9/11 Veterans within six years following military separation. It
will provide information to inform suicide postvention strategies that target the population of suicide bereaved
post-9/11 Veterans as well as those targeting women and American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) Veterans.
Innovation and Impact: (1) Use of VA data to provide the most reliable prevalence estimates for suicide
exposure among Veterans to date; (2) Oversampling of vulnerable but understudied populations -- Women and
AI/AN Veterans; (3) inclusion of two comparison groups to elucidate the common and unique contribution of
suicide exposure to health outcomes and patterns of VA service utilization; and (4) Assessment of the formal
and informal supports Veterans receive for mental health problems associated with suicide using both survey
and VA healthcare utilization data.
Specific Aims: (1) Evaluate differences in the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), prolonged
grief disorder (PGD), and in suicidal ideation, attempts and planning among Veterans exposed to suicide
compared with those exposed to other causes of sudden death and with unexposed Veterans. We will also
evaluate differences by sex and race. (2) Identify modifiable moderating factors for the association between
suicide exposure and negative outcomes and modifiable moderating factors for the association between suicide
or sudden death exposure and negative outcomes relative to those with neither exposure. (3) Describe treatment
experiences, interests, reported suicide attempts, and patterns of VA service utilization among those exposed to
a suicide death compared to Veterans exposed to other sudden deaths and to unexposed Veterans. (4)
Contextualize quantitative findings through interviews with a purposive sample of Veterans exposed to suicide.
The interviews will focus on modifiable factors at each level of the socio-ecological model of suicide prevention
to better understand targets for intervention.
Methodology: This explanatory sequential mixed methods study examines outcomes associated with suicide
exposure in a nationally representative sample of post-9/11 Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. We will collect
data in t...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10982445
- **Project number:** 5I01HX003438-03
- **Recipient organization:** MINNEAPOLIS VA  MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** NINA A. SAYER
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10982445

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10982445, Exposure to Suicide Among Post 9/11 Veterans: Prevalence, Correlates and Treatment Needs (5I01HX003438-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10982445. Licensed CC0.

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