Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Occup Environ Med. 2022 Feb;79(2):88-93. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2021-107713. Epub 2021 Oct 14.
The risk of suicide among UK military veterans remains unclear. Few recent studies have been undertaken, and most studies found no clear evidence of increased risk. We used data from the Trends in Scottish Veterans Health cohort to investigate suicides up to 2017 in order to examine whether there have been any changes in the long-term pattern of veteran suicides since our earlier study to 2012, and to compare trends in the risk of suicide among veterans with matched non-veterans.
Retrospective cohort study of 78 000 veterans and 253 000 non-veterans born between 1945 and 1995, matched for age, sex and area of residence, using survival analysis to examine the risk of suicide in veterans in comparison with non-veterans overall and by subgroup, and to investigate associations with specific mental health conditions.
Up to 37 years of follow-up, 388 (0.5%) veterans and 1531 (0.6%) non-veterans died from suicide. The risk of suicide among veterans did not differ from non-veterans overall. Increased risk among early service leavers was explained by differences in deprivation, and the previously reported increased risk in female veterans is now confined to older women. Suicide was most common in the fifth decade of life, and around 20 years postservice. A history of mood disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder was non-significantly more common in veterans.
Veterans are not at increased risk of suicide overall. The highest risk for both men and women is in middle age, many years after leaving service.
英国退伍军人的自杀风险仍不清楚。最近进行的研究很少，大多数研究没有发现风险增加的明确证据。我们使用苏格兰退伍军人健康趋势队列的数据，调查了截至 2017 年的自杀事件，以检验自我们之前的研究（截至 2012 年）以来，退伍军人自杀的长期模式是否发生了任何变化，并比较退伍军人和匹配的非退伍军人自杀风险的趋势。
对出生于 1945 年至 1995 年之间的 78000 名退伍军人和 253000 名非退伍军人进行回顾性队列研究，根据年龄、性别和居住地进行匹配，使用生存分析来比较退伍军人和非退伍军人的自杀风险，按总体和亚组进行比较，并调查与特定心理健康状况的关联。
在长达 37 年的随访期间，388 名（0.5%）退伍军人和 1531 名（0.6%）非退伍军人自杀身亡。退伍军人的自杀风险与非退伍军人总体无差异。早期退伍军人的风险增加是由贫困程度差异造成的，而之前报告的女性退伍军人风险增加现在仅限于老年女性。自杀最常见于生命的第五个十年，大约在退伍后 20 年。心境障碍或创伤后应激障碍的病史在退伍军人中更为常见，但无统计学意义。
退伍军人总体上没有增加自杀风险。男女的最高风险都在中年，即离开军队多年后。
