Objectives: We sought to describe the extent and nature of contact with the health care system before suicide among veterans with substance use disorders (SUDs).
Methods: We examined all male Veterans Health Administration patients who died by suicide between October 1, 1999, and September 30, 2007, and who had a documented SUD diagnosis during the 2 years before death (n = 3132).
Results: Over half (55.5%; n = 1740) of the male patients were seen during the month before suicide, and 25.4% (n = 796) were seen during the week before suicide. In examining those with a medical visit in the year before suicide (n = 2964), most of the last visits before suicide (56.6%; n = 1679) were in a general medical setting, 32.8% (n = 973) were in a specialty mental health setting, and 10.5% (n = 312) were in SUD treatment.
Conclusions: Men with SUDs who died from suicide were frequently seen in the month before their death. Most were last seen in general medical settings, although a substantial minority of those with SUDs was seen in specialty mental health settings.