# Risk and Resilience Factors related to Suicidal Ideation during Transition from Military to Civilian Life: Secondary Analyses of the TVMI Cohort Study

> **NIH VA I01** · VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM · 2020 · —

## Abstract

Background: The Veterans Metrics Initiative (TVMI) Study is the first study to provide a
comprehensive examination of military veterans' experiences as they transition from military
service. While suicidality was not a primary focus, veterans were asked about experience of
suicidal thoughts, as well as life circumstances that may contribute to suicidal thoughts, at each
of six timepoints of this three-year study. The current study proposes to leverage these data to
examine several important questions pertaining to veterans' suicidal thoughts during transition.
Results can inform the identification of veterans at greatest risk for suicidal thoughts during
transition and inform interventions aimed at interrupting trajectories that increase risk for suicide.
Significance/Impact: This study will provide critical insight into how veterans' experiences of
suicidal thoughts change throughout the military to civilian transition, what factors are
associated with increases and decreases in suicidal thoughts during transition, and which
veterans are most vulnerable to suicidal thoughts following transition. This study is responsive
to HSR&D's request for research on veterans' suicidality following transition from military
service, as well as key priorities outlined in both VA's National Roadmap to Empower Veterans
and End Suicide and the National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide.
Innovativeness: The proposed study is innovative in several ways. First, it represents the first
in-depth investigation of veterans' suicidal thoughts during their transition from military service.
Second, its longitudinal design provides a unique opportunity to isolate factors that lead to
changes in suicidal thoughts over time. Third, it offers a much more comprehensive assessment
of risk and resilience factors for suicidal thoughts than prior research, drawing from measures of
a wide variety of vocational, financial, health, and social experiences that may contribute to
suicidality. Fourth, its population-based nature allows for attention to the experiences of
veterans who are not adequately represented in prior research, including both non-VA users
and veterans from all service branches. Fifth, the sample is large enough to support the type of
sophisticated analyses needed to adequately characterize the complexity underlying veterans'
suicidal thoughts, as well as separate analyses of smaller subgroups (e.g., female veterans).
Specific Aims: Aim 1 is to identify factors present at separation that are associated with
veterans' suicidal thoughts within the first year after separation. Aim 2 is to identify post-
separation vocational, financial, health, and social experiences that are associated with increase
or decreases in suicidal thoughts during transition, either independently or in combination with
separation factors. Aim 3 is to identify differences in risk for suicidal thoughts during transition
for three high-risk veteran subgroups - female veterans, non-users of V...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9943751
- **Project number:** 1I01HX003138-01
- **Recipient organization:** VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
- **Principal Investigator:** Dawne Suzanne Vogt-Ryan
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9943751

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9943751, Risk and Resilience Factors related to Suicidal Ideation during Transition from Military to Civilian Life: Secondary Analyses of the TVMI Cohort Study (1I01HX003138-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9943751. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*