Women Veterans With Substance Abuse More Likely to Die by Suicide

by | Apr 7, 2025

BOSTON — Among U.S. military veterans with addiction diagnoses, women are more likely to die by suicide than men and at younger ages, according to a new study.

The VA Boston Healthcare System-led researcher noted, “Veterans with substance use disorders (SUDs) are at elevated risk of dying by suicide.”

Because of that, the study team, which also included the Bedford, MA, VAMC, focused on sex and age differences in rates and means of suicide death among veterans with alcohol- (AUD) and/or opioid-use disorder (OUD) diagnoses. Results were published in Women’s Health Issues.1

Participants were a cohort of veterans with AUD and/or OUD diagnoses who received VHA care and died of any cause between January 2016 and December 2020. The study team assessed the risk of suicide death and lethal means by sex, age and their interaction.

Among veterans with AUD and/or OUD, 119,693 died of any cause during the study period. About 4.5% of all deaths (n = 5,419) were suicides, with women being 2.25 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.97-2.55) more likely to take their own lives than men. Women also died at significantly younger ages than men, according to the study.

Suicide deaths accounted for 21.28 and 32.25 years of potential life lost for men (mean age, 52.92 ± 14.81 years) and women (mean age, 47.65 ± 11.52 years), respectively, the authors added.

Intentional poisoning was the most common means of suicide death for both men and women, although women were 2.08 times (95% CI, 1.61-2.71) more likely to die by poisoning-related suicide than men, according to the researchers. On the other hand, men were 1.73 times (95% CI, 1.13-2.77) more likely to die by firearms-related suicide than women, they pointed out.

“Among veterans diagnosed with AUD and/or OUD, women were more likely to die by suicide, at a younger age, than men,” the authors concluded, adding, “These national-level data highlight the urgency of suicide risk assessment and prevention among women veterans with substance use disorder.”

 

  1. Mandavia AD, Banducci AN, Simpson TL, Marx BP, et. Al. Sex Differences in Suicide, Lethal Means, and Years of Potential Life Lost Among Veterans With Substance Use Disorder. Womens Health Issues. 2025 Mar 19:S1049-3867(25)00027-1. doi: 10.1016/j.whi.2025.02.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40113455.