Abstract:
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U.S. Veterans experience a suicide rate 50% higher than that of non-Veteran adults. ASCEND, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, aims to design and implement a recurring national survey to track trends in non-fatal suicidal self-directed violence (NF-SSDV; i.e., suicide ideation (SI) and attempt (SA)) among Veterans and to collect information on risk and protective factors for suicide in this population, with an emphasis on social and community characteristics. ASCEND will be carried out by MTS and NORC. Ultimately, findings from ASCEND will be used to inform public health-oriented prevention efforts. An initial survey targeting 50,000 respondents will provide national and state estimates of SI and SA among all Veterans. Differential sampling by sex and geography will support estimation within small domains (i.e., female and rural). A pilot study (n=500) will refine data collection methods and systems, including sampling frame construction, survey instruments (web and CATI modes), recruitment strategies, and incentives. Challenges to be discussed include a hard-to-reach survey population and the sensitive nature of data to be collected.
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