Suicide Prevention Insights to Action

Suicide Prevention Insights to Action is a quarterly publication developed by the Minnesota Department of Health Suicide Prevention Data Action Team. The goal is to improve individual, organization, and community capacity to use suicide-related data to identify high-risk groups, set priority prevention activities, and monitor the effects of suicide prevention programs.

The data: Veterans’ physical health important factor in suicide prevention

Physical health problems are a risk factor for suicides, and especially among people who have served in the military. Veterans are 50% more likely to have a physical health problem contributing to their suicide than non-veterans.  

The resource: Importance of screening patients for military service  

Veterans seek health care services from many settings, including civilian health care systems. Knowing a patient’s military service history can help you address service-related health needs that may otherwise be missed. Review the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians’ article on the Importance of Screening Patients for Military Service to learn why asking about military service matters and how to respond when a patient says “Yes.”

The action: Ask the question

Advocate to make it routine for your organization to screen patients for military service. Ask every adult patient if they served in the military and use this information to provide holistic care for veterans in your community. You can also connect Veteran patients with their County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO). Names and contact information for CVSOs can be found at Find Your CVSO. 

View past Insights to Action

• The data: Importance of pronouns in transgender and nonbinary youth suicide prevention
• The data: Mental health care is underutilized
• The data: Adverse Childhood Experiences and suicidal ideation

Email us at health.suicideprev.mdh@state.mn.us with any questions.

If you need immediate emotional or mental health support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit the 988 Lifeline chat to connect online with a trained counselor.