Prevalence of suicidality among hispanic and African American veterans following surgery

L.A. Copeland, R.T. McIntyre, E.M. Stock, J.E. Zeber, D.J. MacCarthy and M.J. Pugh

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue S4, S603-S608

Abstract: Objectives. We evaluated factors associated with suicidal behavior and ideation (SBI) during 3 years of follow-up among 89 995 Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who underwent major surgery from October 2005 to September 2006. Methods. We analyzed administrative data using Cox proportional hazards models. SBI was ascertained by International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision codes. Results. African Americans (18% of sample; 16 252)were at an increased risk for SBI (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10, 1.32), whereas Hispanics were not (HR = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.95, 1.28). Other risk factors included schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, pain disorders, postoperative new-onset depression, and postoperative complications; female gender and married status were protective against SBI. Conclusions. The postoperative period might be a time of heightened risk for SBI among minority patients in the VHA. Tailored monitoring and postoperative management by minority status might be required to achieve care equity.

Keywords: African American; aged; article; ethnology; female; government; Hispanic; human; male; mental disease; middle aged; pain; postoperative complication; prevalence; proportional hazards model; psychological aspect; risk factor; sex difference; socioeconomics; statistics; suicidal ideation; suicide; United States; veteran; veterans health, African Americans; Aged; Female; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Male; Mental Disorders; Middle Aged; Pain; Postoperative Complications; Prevalence; Proportional Hazards Models; Risk Factors; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; United States; United States Department of Veterans Affairs; Veterans; Veterans Health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.2105/AJPH.2014.301938

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2014.301938_4

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.301938

Access Statistics for this article

American Journal of Public Health is currently edited by Alfredo Morabia

More articles in American Journal of Public Health from American Public Health Association
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Christopher F Baum ().