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Prior Military Sexual Trauma Linked to Late-Life Suicide Attempt

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 2, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- Prior military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with late-life suicide attempt and death by suicide or overdose, according to a study published online April 29 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Anita S. Hargrave, M.D., from the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and colleagues conducted a longitudinal cohort study to examine the association between MST and risk for suicide, overdose, and related mortality among older men and women at specific age landmarks. A total of 5,059,526 veterans aged 50 years or older were followed from baseline in 2012 to 2013 through Dec. 31, 2020.

MST was documented for 15.7 and 1.3 percent of older women and older men, respectively. The researchers found that the adjusted cumulative incidence of any suicide attempt was higher for those with versus without MST (men: 18.67 versus 6.25 percent; women: 8.66 versus 2.92 percent) at age 90 years. Among men and women, respectively, the adjusted risk differences were 12.41 and 5.74 percent for any late-life suicide attempt; 11.92 and 5.58 percent for nonfatal suicide attempt; 0.27 and 0.15 percent for fatal suicide attempt; and 1.05 and 0.48 percent for any drug overdose at age 90 years. Among people with and without posttraumatic stress disorder, MST remained a significant risk factor for any suicide attempt.

"Our research shows that MST is associated with far-reaching influences on health that persist over decades to affect later-life suicide risk and mortality in both men and women," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted May 2025

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