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Oregon Violent Death Reporting System data were linked with Veterans Affairs (VA) administrative data to identify and describe veterans who completed suicide in Oregon from 2000 to 2005 (n = 968), and to describe their VA health care utilization in the year prior to death. Twenty-two percent had received health care in the VA system. Of these, 57% did not have mental health diagnoses and 58% had not seen mental health professionals. A larger proportion of those who accessed care were VA-enrolled and received service-connected disability benefits. Fifty-five veterans were hospitalized during the year prior to death. Of these, 33% completed suicide within 30 days of a hospitalization. Further development of suicide prevention strategies for veterans in the community, including general medical treatment settings, is indicated.

Fatal and nonfatal injuries due to suicidal behavior among younger adolescents are of growing concern for many communities. We examined the incidence and patterns of these injuries among persons aged 10-14 years using three databases, two national and a third from Oregon. Suffocation and firearm gunshot were the leading external causes of suicide; poisoning and cutting/piercing were the leading causes of nonfatal self-harm injuries. The most common psychosocial factors associated with those treated in emergency departments for self-harm injuries were psychological conditions; drug/alcohol involvement; and adverse circumstances, including family discord, school problems, and physical/sexual abuse. Analysis of population-based data from these databases are part of the public health approach and can help direct much needed research and prevention efforts that address self-harming behavior in these younger adolescents.