Arizona veterans commit suicide at quadruple the rate of civilians, ASU study says
Dennis Wagner
An Arizona State University suicide study found that military veterans in the state are nearly four times more likely to take their own lives than non-veterans, and are at much greater risk than reported by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The report by the university's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety says veterans in Arizona committed suicide at a rate of 55 per 100,000 last year, while non-veterans did so at a rate of 14 per 100,000.
That reflects a 391 percent difference.
Yet the VA, in its report last year, said U.S. veterans are just 22 percent more likely to commit suicide than civilians.
Each report included adjustments for age and gender differences among veterans. The VA had touted its study, based on 2014 suicide data, as the most exhaustive ever conducted. Investigators relied on 55 million documents from all 50 states.
Charles Katz, a professor with ASU's School of Criminology and director of the center, said he cannot account for the radically different conclusions. However, he said ASU researchers were diligent in gathering evidence for their report.
"We're very comfortable with our findings," Katz added. "We're sticking with it."
The VA has struggled to accurately calculate veteran suicide numbers in the past, prompting criticism from Congress and advocacy groups. In a written reply to questions from The Arizona Republic, a department spokesman said the university findings "cover different years and focus on different populations, so comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges."
Both studies concluded that Arizona veterans are at a much greater risk than their counterparts across the country.
The nationwide rate for veterans is 38 suicides per 100,000, compared with Arizona's 55.
Katz said he cannot immediately explain that proclivity, but the research center will seek resources to investigate. In the meantime, he noted, other study findings may also bear inquiry. Among them:
- The youngest Arizona veterans, ages 18-34, are most vulnerable — taking their own lives at a rate of 92 per 100,000.
- Four-fifths of the veteran suicides in Arizona are committed with firearms, compared to a two-thirds ratio nationally.
- Male veterans in Arizona are about three times more likely to take their own lives than are females veterans.
Approximately 506,000 veterans reside in Arizona, comprising about 7 percent of the state's overall population.
Katz said the ASU center's research, based on police reports, medical-examiner records and other violent-death data, is conducted annually to "shine the light on issues pertaining to veterans."
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