Preventing Suicide Among Homeless Veterans

BACKGROUND: Suicidal self-directed violence among Veterans experiencing homelessness remains a significant public health concern. To prevent suicide in this population, concerted clinical and research efforts remain necessary. OBJECTIVE: This paper serves as a consensus statement by the recently-formed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Suicide Prevention among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness Workgroup. We provide a brief overview of current initiatives to prevent suicide among Veterans experiencing homelessness. We also discuss methods of studying this complex subset of the Veteran population, as well as future research endeavors necessary to inform gaps in understanding. CONCLUSIONS: Veterans experiencing homelessness are a complex subset of the Veteran population whose risk for suicide may be exacerbated by a number of factors (e.g., multimorbidity, rurality). While the VA has implemented a number of initiatives to prevent suicide among Veterans experiencing homelessness (e.g., universal screening for suicidal ideation and recent suicide attempts, Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training), there is a continued need to understand how best to tailor these initiatives to Veterans experiencing homelessness. Moreover, because Veterans experiencing homelessness often access a number of services within the community (e.g., community-based clinics, homeless shelters), collaboration between the VA and community is necessary.