Lindsey L Monteith, Julie A Kittel, Evan R Polzer, Ryan Holliday, Joseph A Simonetti, Claire A Hoffmire
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Suicide rates have increased substantially among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Veterans who are more likely to use suffocation as a suicide method than Veterans overall. This study examined demographic, healthcare and injury characteristics of AANHPI Veterans who died by suicide through suffocation and examined the contexts of these deaths. Analyses further examined if there were differences between AANHPI and non-AANHPI Veterans who died by suffocation suicide.
Methods: This mixed methods analysis used National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) data from AANHPI (n=44) and non-AANHPI (n=3090) Veterans who died by suicide through suffocation (2012-2018).
Results: Hanging comprised nearly all suffocation deaths, although ligature types varied extensively. Residence was the most common location of injury and death, with basements a more common location of death within the home among AANHPI Veterans, relative to a matched, non-AANHPI Veteran sample. There was a significantly higher proportion of females among AANHPI decedents. Additionally, AANHPI decedents were significantly less likely to have emergency medical services present, relative to non-AANHPI decedents. The majority of AANHPI decedents were discovered by family or an intimate partner.
Conclusions: Addressing ligature suicide among AANHPI Veterans is necessary to ensure an equitable suicide prevention approach. Lethal means safety initiatives and postvention strategies that consider salient contextual factors (eg, location of death, discovery by loved ones) are warranted for this population. Considering the ubiquity of ligatures and ligature points, upstream suicide prevention approaches that address drivers of suicide risk are particularly important for preventing suicide among AANHPI Veterans.
期刊介绍:
Since its inception in 1995, Injury Prevention has been the pre-eminent repository of original research and compelling commentary relevant to this increasingly important field. An international peer reviewed journal, it offers the best in science, policy, and public health practice to reduce the burden of injury in all age groups around the world. The journal publishes original research, opinion, debate and special features on the prevention of unintentional, occupational and intentional (violence-related) injuries. Injury Prevention is online only.