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Mortality

Safety Planning Intervention Reduces Mortality in Veterans at Risk of Suicide

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A recent study published in Psychological Services has shown that a safety planning intervention can reduce mortality in veterans who are at risk of suicide. The study, led by Gregory M. Dams of the Veterans Health Administration, analyzed archival data from 14,743 patients who visited a VA emergency department between 2018 and 2023. The results revealed that the implementation of the safety planning intervention was high, but with room for improvement. Notably, the study found that the intervention was associated with a 26% reduced odds of all-cause mortality within 1 year, but did not have a significant impact on 30-day mental health encounter attendance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention In Emergency Department Intervention was implemented in 2018 to protect veteran lives and promote follow-up with mental health services.
  • The study analyzed archival data from 14,743 patients who visited a VA emergency department between 2018 and 2023.
  • The implementation of the safety planning intervention was high, but with room for improvement.
  • Exploratory logistic regressions revealed that safety planning was associated with 26% reduced odds of all-cause mortality within 1 year.
  • Safety planning was not significantly associated with increased 30-day mental health encounter attendance.
  • The study suggested that safety planning may be relevant to a broader range of patients assessed as at-risk in VA emergency departments than initially targeted.

Statistics:

  • 14,743 patients were included in the study, with 7,024 discharging to home.
  • The implementation of the safety planning intervention was high, but with room for improvement.
  • A 26% reduced odds of all-cause mortality within 1 year was observed.
  • The study did not examine suicide mortality as an outcome.
  • The safety planning intervention did not have a significant impact on 30-day mental health encounter attendance.

Sources:

  • Dams, G. M., Kinnard, R. D., Trafton, J., & Zhang, J. (2025). Is the Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention In Emergency Department Intervention Associated With Improved Mental Health Attendance and All-cause Mortality Outcomes? Psychological Services.
  • NewsRx. Findings on Suicide Detailed by Investigators at Veterans Health Administration (Is the Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention In Emergency Department Intervention Associated With Improved Mental Health Attendance and All-cause Mortality Outcomes?). Mental Health Weekly Digest, (80), 2025.

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