Suicide among veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to estimate the risk of death by suicide for those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) seeking care within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). METHODS This was a retrospective, cohort study. Extended Cox regression models were used to compare the hazard of suicide between the ALS and the unexposed groups. RESULTS The hazard of suicide was 3.98 times higher for those with ALS than for those without (95% confidence interval [CI] , 2.64-6.00; P