Harvard Injury Control Research Center
Our mission is to reduce the societal burden of injury and violence through surveillance, research, intervention, evaluation, outreach, dissemination, and training.
Veterans
There are no differences in suicide risk among middle-aged and older male veterans and non-veterans. Suicide by firearm is higher, suicide by non-firearm is lower. It is probable that lower baseline risk of active duty soldiers (healthy worker effect) tends to be counterbalanced by the accessibility of firearms to these veterans.
Miller, Matthew; Barber, Catherine; Azrael, Deborah, Calle, Eugenia E; Lawler, Elizabeth; Mukamal, Kenneth J. Suicide among US veterans: A prospective study of 500,000 middle-aged and elderly men. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2009; 170:494-500.
This editorial in an issue of the flagship public health journal devoted entirely to veteran suicide emphasizes the importance of the availability of firearms in determining whether suicide attempts prove fatal.
Miller, Matthew. Preventing suicide by preventing lethal injury: The need to act on what we already know. American Journal of Public Health. 2012; 102(S1):e1-3.
Using data from the HICRC sponsored National Firearms Survey, which oversampled US veterans, researchers provided detailed, nationally representative information on firearm ownership among US veterans. About 47% of male veterans and 24% of female veterans own firearms. Over 63% report that protection is a primary reason for firearm ownership.
Cleveland, Emily C; Azrael, Deborah; Simonetti, Joseph A. Firearm ownership among American veterans: findings from the 2015 National Firearm Survey Injury Epidemiology. 2017; 4(1) 33-
Data from the HICRC 2015 National Firearm Survey show that 1 in 3 US Veteran firearm owners store a household firearm loaded and unlocked. Storage is similar among those with and without self-reported suicide risk factors. Veterans who own more guns, own guns for protection, and carry guns are more likely than others to store guns loaded and unlocked.
Simonetti J. Azrael D, Rowhani-Rahbar A, Miller M. Firearm storage practices among American veterans. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2018; 55:445-454.
Simonetti J, Azrael D, Miller M. Firearm storage practices, risk perceptions, and planned suicide prevention actions among veteran gun owners with and without self-harm risk factors. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. 2019; 49:653-664.
Data come our 2019 National Firearm Survey.
Simonetti JA, Azrael D, Zhang W, Miller M. Receipt of clinician-delivered firearm safety counseling among US Veterans: results from a 2019 national survey. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior. 2022; 52:1121-1125.
Aunon FM, Azrael D, Simonetti JA, Miller M. Beliefs among Veteran firearm owners regarding whether clinicians should discuss firearm safety with patients. JAMA Network Open. 2023; e:2321219.