A new study indicates that the risk for self-harm is higher among individuals who have served in the Armed Forces for a short time. The findings were published in the journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology.
Using data from the Scottish Veterans Health Study, researchers at the University of Glasgow evaluated the long-term risks of non-fatal self-harm in Scottish veterans who served between 1960 and 2012 and compared the risks with non-veterans.
Overall, veterans had a 30% increased risk for self-harm. The individuals who left service before completing their initial training had a 70% increased risk for self-harm. Those who had served for longest duration had a 60% reduced risk. The rise in risk was evident in the youngest and veterans. Although female veterans did not exhibit an overall increased risk, young women were more likely self-harm compared with their male counterparts.
The findings indicate that pre-service life may possibly account for major risk factors for self-harm and that service in the Armed Forces for a longer period of time has a protective effect.
