TY - JOUR
T1 - Food Insecurity and Suicidal Ideation
T2 - Results from a National Longitudinal Study of Military Veterans
AU - Elbogen, Eric B.
AU - Graziano, Robert C.
AU - LaRue, Gillian
AU - Cohen, Alicia J.
AU - Hooshyar, Dina
AU - Wagner, H. Ryan
AU - Tsai, Jack
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Objective: Research examining social determinants of suicide risk in veterans suggests a potential link between food insecurity and subsequent suicidal ideation in military veterans. The objective of this study is to investigate, if and how, food insecurity predicts subsequent suicidal ideation in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of veterans. Methods: A national longitudinal survey was analyzed of participants randomly drawn from over one million U.S. military service members who served after September 11, 2001. N = 1,090 veterans provided two waves of data one year apart (79% retention rate); the final sample was representative of post-9/11 veterans in all 50 states and all military branches. Results: Veterans with food insecurity had nearly four times higher suicidal ideation one year later compared to veterans not reporting food insecurity (39% vs 10%). In multivariable analyses controlling for demographic, military, and clinical covariates, food insecurity (OR = 2.37, p =.0165) predicted suicidal ideation one year later, as did mental health disorders (OR = 2.12, p =.0097). Veterans with both food insecurity and mental health disorders had a more than nine-fold increase in predicted probability of suicidal ideation in the subsequent year compared to veterans with neither food insecurity nor mental health disorders (48.5% vs. 5.5%). Conclusion: These findings identify food insecurity as an independent risk marker for suicidal ideation in military veterans in addition to mental disorders. Food insecurity is both an indicator of and an intervention point for subsequent suicide risk. Regularly assessing for food insecurity, and intervening accordingly, can provide upstream opportunities to reduce odds of suicide among veterans.HIGHLIGHTS Military veterans with food insecurity were at elevated risk of suicidal ideation. Veterans with mental health disorders had higher odds of suicidal ideation one year later. Food insecurity plus mental health disorders led to a substantial increase in suicidal ideation.
AB - Objective: Research examining social determinants of suicide risk in veterans suggests a potential link between food insecurity and subsequent suicidal ideation in military veterans. The objective of this study is to investigate, if and how, food insecurity predicts subsequent suicidal ideation in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of veterans. Methods: A national longitudinal survey was analyzed of participants randomly drawn from over one million U.S. military service members who served after September 11, 2001. N = 1,090 veterans provided two waves of data one year apart (79% retention rate); the final sample was representative of post-9/11 veterans in all 50 states and all military branches. Results: Veterans with food insecurity had nearly four times higher suicidal ideation one year later compared to veterans not reporting food insecurity (39% vs 10%). In multivariable analyses controlling for demographic, military, and clinical covariates, food insecurity (OR = 2.37, p =.0165) predicted suicidal ideation one year later, as did mental health disorders (OR = 2.12, p =.0097). Veterans with both food insecurity and mental health disorders had a more than nine-fold increase in predicted probability of suicidal ideation in the subsequent year compared to veterans with neither food insecurity nor mental health disorders (48.5% vs. 5.5%). Conclusion: These findings identify food insecurity as an independent risk marker for suicidal ideation in military veterans in addition to mental disorders. Food insecurity is both an indicator of and an intervention point for subsequent suicide risk. Regularly assessing for food insecurity, and intervening accordingly, can provide upstream opportunities to reduce odds of suicide among veterans.HIGHLIGHTS Military veterans with food insecurity were at elevated risk of suicidal ideation. Veterans with mental health disorders had higher odds of suicidal ideation one year later. Food insecurity plus mental health disorders led to a substantial increase in suicidal ideation.
KW - Food insecurity
KW - military
KW - suicidal ideation
KW - veterans
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85159061831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85159061831&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13811118.2023.2200795
DO - 10.1080/13811118.2023.2200795
M3 - Article
C2 - 37165670
AN - SCOPUS:85159061831
SN - 1381-1118
JO - Archives of Suicide Research
JF - Archives of Suicide Research
ER -