Loneliness and suicidal behaviour in military veterans

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Public Health
• Veterans Affairs

Background:

• Loneliness is a distressing subjective experience linked to isolation.
• It is associated with increased psychiatric, medical disorders, and suicidal behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the underappreciated issues of loneliness in veterans.
• To address suicidality among lonely veterans.

Main Methods:

• A review of relevant scientific literature was conducted.

Main Results:

• Military veterans, particularly older ones, experience unique forms of loneliness.
• Loneliness is a significant contributing factor to suicidality in veterans.
• Loneliness serves as a transdiagnostic target for suicide prevention and intervention in veterans.

Conclusions:

• Suicide prevention in lonely veterans requires a multi-component approach.
• Key components include recognizing and reducing loneliness, managing co-occurring disorders, assessing suicide risk, restricting access to lethal means, and implementing targeted interventions.