MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Dr. David Shulkin, the Department of Veterans Affairs secretary, believes the VA needs to continue to do more research to find better ways to treat addiction.
Veterans who have drug or alcohol problems are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as their comrades, according to a new University of Michigan study performed with the help of the VA.
The suicide rate is higher for veterans of both genders who misused sedatives. It marked higher for women who misused opioids.
The researchers examined medical data and death records for more than 4.4. million veterans who received care at the VA. Firearms were involved in two-thirds of the suicides.
