Children's Health: Probiotic formula reverses cow's milk allergies by changing gut bacteria of infants ♦ Exercise reduces suicide attempts by 23 percent among bullied teens

Exercise reduces suicide attempts by 23 percent among bullied teens As high schools across the country continue to reduce physical education, recess, and athletic programs, a new study shows that regular exercise significantly reduces both suicidal thoughts and attempts among students who are bullied.

Teenagers who become pregnant at higher risk of further teen pregnancies Nearly a quarter of teenagers in England and Wales who have had an abortion have been pregnant before.

Researchers find novel signature in brains of children with cerebral malaria Cells associated with inflammation and blood clotting accumulate in the brain blood vessels of children affected by a potentially fatal form of malaria called cerebral malaria, potentially contributing to the disease process, an international team of researchers has found, and HIV can exacerbate this development

Probiotic formula reverses cow's milk allergies by changing gut bacteria of infants The gut bacteria of infants who developed tolerance to cow's milk after treatment with probiotic formula showed significant differences from those who remained allergic.

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Health News: Silica nano-particles could repair damaged teeth ♦ Using ultrasound to clean medical instrument ♦ Suicide greatly underestimated in U.S.

MN salmonella outbreak blamed on tomatoes served at chipotle restaurants Tomatoes served at 22 Chipotle Mexican Grill locations in Minnesota were the source of the recent Salmonella Newport outbreak which sickened 64 people and hospitalized nine of them. All are recovering, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Epidemiologist says suicide, death from intentional self-injury is greatly underestimated in U.S. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States -- greater even than traffic crashes. A professor of epidemiology says the problem is bigger and proposes a way to address it.

International team discovers natural defense against HIV A new natural defense against HIV infection has been discovered by researchers. The team's discovery focuses on ERManI, a protein that prevents the HIV virus from replicating.

Using ultrasound to clean medical instruments A pioneering ultrasonic device can significantly improve the cleaning of medical instruments and reduce contamination and risk of infection. StarStream makes water more efficient for cleaning by creating tiny bubbles which automatically scrub surfaces. The device supplies a gentle stream of water through a nozzle that generates ultrasound and bubbles, which dramatically improve the cleaning power of water reducing the need for additives and heating.

Tiny silica particles could be used to repair damaged teeth, Researchers have shown how the development of coated silica nanoparticles could be used in restorative treatment of sensitive teeth and preventing the onset of tooth decay

Predicting Suicide Risk

More than 41,000 Americans commit suicide each year. That’s more than twice the number killed annually by homicide. Most people who end their own lives have a mental disorder such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder.

Researchers have been seeking a way to objectively measure a person’s risk for suicide. Image Credit: Katarzyna Bialasiewicz/iStock/Thinkstock.

Efforts to reduce suicides have focused on identifying and treating those at risk. However, asking people if they’re suicidal isn’t always a reliable approach. Finding a way to objectively measure a person’s risk for suicide is thus an important area of research. Some researchers are developing questionnaires that measure the likelihood of someone committing suicide. Others are looking for biological markers of people who are suicidal.

A study led by researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine combined these approaches. Their work was funded by an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Results appeared online in Molecular Psychiatry on August 18, 2015.

The researchers studied 217 male psychiatric patients at the Indianapolis VA Medical Center during multiple visits several months apart. The scientists measured the men’s thoughts of suicide through extensive interviews and took blood samples. They identified 37 patients whose thoughts of suicide increased between visits. Those patients’ blood samples were analyzed to find genes with changes in activity, or expression, between visits. Those genes were ranked based on prior research linking them to suicide risk. The researchers then measured the expression of these top-ranked genes in blood samples from 26 men who had committed suicide.

The team also developed 2 apps that use questionnaires to measure risk factors for suicide. The first collects details on a patient's’ emotional state. The second asks about factors known to influence suicide risk, such as life events, stress, and mental health. Both could predict thoughts of suicide more than 85% of the time. These questionnaires were then combined with the most predictive gene biomarkers to create a universal predictive measure called UP-Suicide.

The team tested UP-Suicide in a separate group of 108 psychiatric patients to examine its ability to predict thoughts of suicide and a group of 157 patients to examine ability to predict future hospitalizations. The tool predicted which patients would go on to have serious suicidal thoughts with 92% accuracy. It also predicted with 71% accuracy which patients would be hospitalized for suicidal behaviors in the year following testing. The tool was even more accurate for patients with bipolar disorder, with 98% and 94% accuracy, respectively.

“We believe that widespread adoption of risk prediction tests based on these findings during health care assessments will enable clinicians to intervene with lifestyle changes or treatments that can save lives,” says lead researcher Dr. Alexander B. Niculescu.

Because the team studied only male psychiatric patients, further research will be needed to understand how well this approach can predict suicidal thoughts and behaviors in other populations, such as women and those who aren’t psychiatric patients.

Health Research: Crime-scene compound may be newest tool in fight against malaria ♦ First steps towards preventing suicide attempts by offenders

Study looks at Google Glass to bring toxicology specialists to remote emergency rooms Google Glass, a head-mounted streaming audio/video device, may be used to effectively extend bed-side toxicology consults to distant health care facilities such as community and rural hospitals to diagnose and manage poisoned patients.

Crime-scene compound may be newest tool in fight against malaria The compound that detectives spray at crime scenes to find trace amounts of blood may one day be used to kill the malaria parasite.

Study shows how aging cripples the immune system, suggesting benefits of antioxidants Scientists have shown how aging cripples the production of new immune cells, decreasing the immune system's response to vaccines and putting the elderly at risk of infection.

Promising drug for Parkinson's disease: Study supports fast track to clinical trials  A drug which has already been in use for decades to treat liver disease could be an effective treatment to slow down progression of Parkinson's disease.

First steps towards preventing suicide attempts by offenders While the risk of suicide by offenders in prison has been identified as a priority for action, understanding and preventing suicides among offenders after release has received far less attention.

Women's Health: Relationship between asthma, cortisol, and complications in pregnancy ♦ Home births lead to higher infant mortality,♦ Socially integrated women have lower suicide risk

Blood markers identify women at risk for postpartum depression The hormone oxytocin, sometimes called 'the love hormone,' may be a factor in postpartum depression, when a mother has a lower than normal level. A blood marker now may help identify the risk.

Home births lead to higher infant mortality, at least for mothers living in poorer areas Home births lead to higher infant mortality than hospital births, at least for mothers living in poorer areas. This is the conclusion of a new study that examines 356,412 low-risk Dutch women who delivered between 2000 and 2008 and who were allowed to choose between a home and a hospital birth.

Hair samples may offer new insights into the relationship between asthma, cortisol, and complications in pregnancy Hair samples can be used to measure the effects of asthma on the cortisol levels of women during pregnancy, according to new research. This research also shows that levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone, tend to be lower among pregnant women with asthma than among pregnant women without the chronic, inflammatory lung disease

Socially integrated women have lower suicide risk Women who were socially well integrated had a lower risk for suicide in a new analysis of data from the Nurses' Health Study, according to an article. Suicide is among the top 10 leading causes of death among middle-age women in the United States.

Health Research: Bone like 3-D silicon synthesized for potential use with medical devices ♦ Targeting bacteria in the gut might help burn ♦ Blood test could identify diabetes decades before it develops

Targeting bacteria in the gut might help burn, trauma patients Burn patients experience dramatic changes in the 100 trillion bacteria inside the gastrointestinal tract, research shows. The findings of a new study has now shown that there was an increase in potentially harmful bacteria, and decrease in beneficial bacteria. The findings suggest that burn patients might benefit from treatment with probiotics.

Blood test could identify diabetes decades before it develops Scientists show for the first time that a small molecule circulates in the blood of people who are in the early stages of type 1 diabetes. A simple blood test could detect this biological marker years, maybe decades, before symptoms develop.

Bone like 3-D silicon synthesized for potential use with medical devices A new approach for better integrating medical devices with biological systems has been developed by scientists with the first skeleton-like silicon spicules ever prepared via chemical processes.

Reform to resident physicians' work hours does not improve surgical patient safety Work-hour restrictions for resident physicians, revised nationally four years ago largely to protect patients against physician trainees' fatigue-related errors, have not had the desired effect of lowering postoperative complication rates in several common surgical specialties.

Army suicide attempts, risk profiles for enlisted soldiers, officers A new analysis of US Army data details rates of suicide attempts during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and researchers have identified risk factors for suicide attempts by enlisted soldiers and officers.

Health News: 86 children sickened, Staph found in daycare food samples ♦ Analysis reveals link between suicide, inflammation ♦ Arthritis drug restores skin color

86 children sickened, Staph found in daycare food samples Eighty-six children may have been sickened by a Staphylococcus aureus toxin found in food served at the Montgomery, AL, daycares they attended. Of those children, 30 were hospitalized and, as of Friday, two were reportedly still there. The Alabama Department of Public Health found the toxin in food products served at both daycare center locations in Montgomery

For vitiligo patient, arthritis drug restores skin color A medication for treating rheumatoid arthritis has restored skin color in a patient suffering from vitiligo, according to dermatologists. The disfiguring condition is best known as the disease that plagued late pop star Michael Jackson.

Consensus paper on patient preferences for arrhythmias management published A unique consensus paper on patient preferences for arrhythmias management has been published. Cardiac arrhythmias can have a big impact on quality of life. Patients with ventricular arrhythmias, for example, may be banned from sports and driving. Those with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) need to weigh the longevity they would gain with the device against the potential for a protracted death from progressive heart failure when deciding whether or not to have it switched off towards the end of life

Inflaming the drive for suicide: Analysis reveals link between suicide, inflammation One American dies from suicide every 12.8 minutes, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. There is consensus that if we could better predict who was at risk for suicide, then we could more effectively intervene to reduce this terrible burden on individuals, families and public health.

Study identifies characteristics of patients likely to have a potential living liver donor Younger patients, those who are married, and those with Child-Pugh C disease—the most severe measure of liver disease—are more likely immigrants, divorced patients and those at the lowest income levels were less likely to have a potential live donor volunteer for liver donation.With a limited supply of deceased donor organs, livers from living donors provide a much needed, life-saving option for those with end-stage liver disease. Despite evidence suggesting that the 5-year recipient survival from the time of wait listing is estimated to be 20% higher with a live donor compared with deceased donor, living donor liver transplantation accounts for only a few percent

Health Research: How to manage pain in the ER: Ask the patient ♦ Study may help to find vets with high-risk of suicide ♦ Vitamin D shows promise for treating Crohn's disease

Winner doesn't always take all Theoretically predicted and now demonstrated experimentally for the first time using soil bacteria: weaker organisms can prevail against stronger ones -- if they are superior in number. This acts as a driving mechanism in the maintenance of genetic diversity, scientists report.

Gene modulation method may provide insight on regrowing inner-ear sensory hair cells An expert in the biology and physiology of the inner ear has developed a method to temporally modify the expression of the retinoblastoma-1 gene in mice. Modulation of the RB1 gene can allow for the regrowth of cells in the inner ear and potentially restore hearing and balance caused by the loss of sensory hair cells.

Vitamin D shows promise for treating Crohn's disease New research suggests that supplementation with vitamin D may impact on the intestinal barrier dysfunction associated with Crohn's disease, and could have a role in the treatment of the condition.

How to manage pain in the ER: Ask the patient Simply asking the question, 'Do you want more pain medication?' resulted in satisfactory pain control in 99 percent of emergency department patients participating in a study of a new evidence-based protocol to treat acute, severe pain in emergency department patients.

Study may help to find vets with high-risk of suicide Veterans Affairs health data has been used to identify very small groups of patients with very high, predicted suicide risk -- most of the individuals had not been identified for suicide risk by clinicians. Such methods can help the Veterans Health Administration to target suicide prevention efforts for patients at high risk, and may have more wide-ranging benefits.

Children Health Toddler temperament influenced by gut bacteria ♦ Melanoma rates dramatically increasing in children ♦ Migraine surgery for teens ♦ Helping youth cope with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts

Toddler temperament could be influenced by different types of gut bacteria The microbiome of a toddler's gut may influence their behavior, a new study suggests. Scientists found correlations between temperament and the presence of specific types of intestinal bacteria in both girls and boys. The researchers aren't looking for a way to help parents modify the 'terrible twos,' but for clues about how - and where - chronic illnesses like obesity, asthma, allergies and bowel diseases start

Melanoma rates dramatically increasing in children and young adults The incidence of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, has increased by more than 250% among children, adolescents and young adults since 1973,

Migraine surgery for teens: Good results in initial experience As in adults, migraine surgery is effective for selected adolescent patients with severe migraine headaches that don't respond to standard treatments.

Helping youth cope with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts A program is helping strengthen the mental health of public school students. The EMPATHY program, created and implemented in 2013, shows after just three months of use in schools, the program significantly decreased anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among the student population.

Health News: Online hawkers try to sell Blue Bell Ice Cream despite recall ♦ Kissing cousins, arranged marriages and genetic diversity ♦ Self-harm, suicide ideation linked in Iraq, Afghanistan veterans

Online hawkers try to sell Blue Bell Ice Cream despite recall. Despite the recent recall of all Blue Bell ice cream and related products due to the potential risk of Listeria contamination, some would-be entrepreneurs are attempting to make a quick buck by selling their previously purchased ice cream via online ads.

Kissing cousins, arranged marriages and genetic diversity In the first study of its kind, a research team has examined the effects of arranged marriages on genetic diversity. From hemophilia and color blindness amongst British and Russian monarchies, people have long known the potential damaging genetic consequences of inbreeding. But until recently, no one could measure or understand the impact of marriage rules on genetic diversity.

Self-harm, suicide ideation tightly linked in Iraq, Afghanistan veterans Non-suicidal self-injury -- that is, purposefully hurting oneself without conscious suicidal intent -- is relatively common among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, and it is a strong risk factor for suicidal behavior.

Search and rescue tool that pinpoints buried victims developed A new locator feature on a search and rescue tool can pinpoint the location of a victim to within about five feet – saving rescuers time and increasing chances for locating survivors.

Links between household air pollution, lung infections examined, including pneumonia Scientists have come a step closer to understanding why people exposed to household air pollution (HAP) are at higher risk of lung infections such as pneumonia and tuberculosis. Three billion people worldwide are exposed to HAP from the fuels they burn to cook, light and heat with at home. Frequently, charcoal, wood and food waste are burned and generate high concentrations of smoke particles. This exposure is associated with increased risk of pneumonia, particularly in low and middle income countries where bacterial pneumonia is the biggest cause of infant mortality. This risk is well known, but the reasons are not.

Childrens Health: Some children lose autism diagnosis but still struggle ♦ E cigarettes gaining in popularity among teens ♦ High radiotherapy dose improves prospects for children with brain cancer

Some children lose autism diagnosis but still struggle About one in 14 toddlers diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder no longer met the diagnostic criteria in elementary school, but most continued to have emotional/behavior symptoms and required special education supports,

Electronic cigarettes gaining in popularity among teens Teens no longer smoke just cigarettes. They have branched out to using alternative tobacco products such as electronic cigarettes, hookahs and little cigars. In fact, e-cigarette use is rising rapidly among both cigarette smokers and nonsmokers,.

Magazine, Internet images fail to promote infant sleep safety Images of infants sleeping in unsafe environments are pervasive in women's magazines and on stock photo websites, which could create confusion among parents and put babies at risk,

Youths who survive self-poisoning continue to be at risk of suicide for years Teenagers who are hospitalized after intentionally poisoning themselves are at a significantly increased risk of dying by suicide in the following decade,.

High radiotherapy dose improves prospects for children with brain cancer Researchers have found that increasing the dose of radiotherapy given to children with an intracranial ependymoma, a form of cancer of the central nervous system, can significantly improve their survival.

Cardiovascular Research: Pesticide exposure contributes risk of heart disease ♦ Strokes double the likelihood of attempted suicide ♦ Shorter height is linked to risk of coronary heart disease

Shorter height is directly associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease  A genetic approach has been used by researchers to show link between height and disease. "We have shown that the association between shorter height and higher risk of coronary heart disease is a primary relationship and is not due to confounding factors such as nutrition or poor socioeconomic conditions,"

Pesticide exposure contributes to heightened risk of heart disease  Pesticide exposure, not obesity alone, can contribute to increased cardiovascular disease risk and inflammation in premenopausal women, according to a new study

A grateful heart is a healthier heart  Recognizing and giving thanks for the positive aspects of life can result in improved mental, and ultimately physical, health in patients with asymptomatic heart failure, according to new research.

Strokes can double the likelihood of attempted suicide  Stroke patients can be up to twice as likely to commit suicide compared with the rest of the population, and the risk of attempted suicide is highest within the first two years after a stroke. "The study shows the need of both psychological and social support, as well as concrete measures to prevent suicide attempts, in people who have had a stroke and are at high risk of attempted suicide. The initiatives must also be put in place at an early stage as the risk of attempted suicide is greatest up to two years after a stroke," said the study's leader

Suicide Trends Among Persons Aged 10–24

Years Suicide among young people is a serious but preventable public health problem in the United States. Practitioners should be aware of the increased use and high lethality of suffocation as a suicide method so they can accurately assess risk and educate families about reducing access to highly lethal means and the importance of not leaving those at risk for suicide alone.

Early prevention of suicidal thoughts and behavior is critical. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons aged 10-24 years in the United States. Firearm, suffocation (includes hanging), and poisoning are the three most common mechanisms.

Source CDC

Childrens Health: Kids and robots learn to write together ♦ Pregnant women with asthma need to curb antibiotics ♦ ADHD + childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm ♦Plus More

Kids and robots learn to write together  Who is the teacher: the student or the machine? By showing a robot how to write letters, children improve their writing skills and gain self-confidence. Continue Reading

Pregnant women with asthma need to curb urge to ask for antibiotics  Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has shown.Continue Reading

Examination of prior authorization policies for antipsychotic prescribing to children  With a concern about inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children, 31 states in the U.S. have implemented prior authorization policies for atypical antipsychotic prescribing.  Continue Reading

ADHD plus childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm, suicide  Young women with ADHD who have been exposed to abuse, neglect or other traumas in childhood and adolescence are at greater risk for self-injury, eating disorders and suicide than those with ADHD who were not mistreated in early youth, according to new research. Continue Reading

Preventing metabolic disease may start in the womb; of your grandmother  No one wants to have child who is born underweight, but for numerous reasons, this may be unavoidable. An intriguing research report involving rats suggests that helping fetuses achieve optimal weight before birth is of even greater importance than currently believed. Continue Reading

1/4/15 Health News:Neonatal HBV vaccine reduces liver cancer ♦ Children with autism whohave pets are more assertive ♦ Skin adipocytes help protect against infections

Neonatal HBV vaccine reduces liver cancer risk

Neonatal HBV vaccination reduces the risk of liver cancer and other liver diseases in young adults in China, according to a study. By collecting data on new cases of liver diseases over 30 years from a population-based tumor registry, the researchers estimated that the protective efficacy of vaccination was 84% for primary liver cancer (vaccination reduced the incidence of liver cancer by 84%), 70% for death from liver diseases, and 69% for the incidence of infant fulminant hepatitis. Continue Reading

Children with autism who live with pets are more assertive

Dogs and other pets play an important role in individuals' social lives, and they can act as catalysts for social interaction, previous research has shown. Although much media attention has focused on how dogs can improve the social skills of children with autism, a researcher recently found that children with autism have stronger social skills when any kind of pet lived in the home Continue Reading

Parental history of suicide attempt associated with increased risk in kids

A suicide attempt by a parent increased the odds nearly five-fold that a child would attempt suicide, according to a report. Other studies have established that suicidal behavior can run in families but few studies have looked at the pathways by which suicidal behavior is transmitted in families. Continue Readimg

Fat isn't all bad: Skin adipocytes help protect against infections When it comes to skin infections, a healthy and robust immune response may depend greatly upon what lies beneath. In a new paper, researchers report the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect us from bacteria. Continue Reading

Army Studies Suicide in the Military

The largest study of mental health risk and resilience ever conducted among U.S. military personnel today released its first findings related to suicide attempts and deaths in a series of three JAMA Psychiatry articles. Findings from The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service members include: the rise in suicide deaths from 2004 to 2009 occurred not only in currently and previously deployed soldiers, but also among soldiers never deployed; nearly half of soldiers who reported suicide attempts indicated their first attempt was prior to enlistment; and soldiers reported higher rates of certain mental disorders than civilians, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intermittent explosive disorder (recurrent episodes of extreme anger or violence), and substance use disorder.

“These studies provide knowledge on suicide risk and potentially protective factors in a military population that can also help us better understand how to prevent suicide in the public at large,” said National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Director Thomas R. Insel, M.D.

Although historically, the suicide death rates in the U.S. Army have been below the civilian rate, the suicide rate in the U.S. Army began climbing in the early 2000s, and by 2008, it exceeded the demographically matched civilian rate (20.2 suicide deaths per 100,000 vs. 19.2)

The articles reflect different strategies to evaluate information on suicide risk and potentially protective factors. An article by lead author Michael Schoenbaum of NIMH examined the suicide and accident death rates in relation to basic socio-demographic and Army experience factors in the 975,057 regular Army soldiers who served between Jan. 1, 2004 and Dec. 31, 2009. This study found that the suicide rates increased during this time period, even among those who had never deployed, and also found that being deployed increased suicide risk for women more than it did for men. However, suicide risk still remained lower for deployed women than for deployed men. Additionally, the study identified a correlation between demotion and suicide risk: soldiers who had been demoted in the past two years experienced increased suicide risk, compared to those without such demotions. There was also increased risk in soldiers without at least a high school diploma or a GED certificate, compared to soldiers with similar or higher degrees. The data suggest that being male, white, or a junior enlisted rank put individuals at the highest risk of suicide.

The second article, by lead author Matthew Nock, Ph.D., at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., explains the findings from a survey of more than 5,000 non-deployed soldiers, designed to shed light on suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts before and after entering the Army. Recruitment interviews revealed that 13.9 percent of soldiers considered suicide at some point in their lifetime, 5.3 percent made a suicide plan, and 2.4 percent attempted suicide, with between 47 to 60 percent of these outcomes first occurring prior to joining the Army. Researchers found that soldiers attempting suicide appeared to be lower-ranking, enlisted, female, and to have been previously deployed. Certain pre-enlistment mental disorders, including panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, linked to increased rates of suicide attempts after joining the Army. In fact, approximately one-third of post-enlistment suicide attempts tied back to pre-enlistment mental disorders. Pre- and post-enlistment mental disorders accounted for 60 percent of first suicide attempts in the Army. The soldiers’ pre-enlistment patterns of suicidal thoughts and behaviors remained lower than suicidal thoughts and behaviors reported by a demographically matched civilian group. However, once in the Army, the onset of suicidal thoughts and planning became more common than among comparable civilians. Both groups had similar rates of suicide attempts.

The last article, by lead author Ronald C. Kessler, Ph.D., at Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., describes a comparison of the same set of non-deployed soldiers and a group of similarly aged civilians. Rates of common mental disorders in the U.S. Army are compared with a demographically-matched civilian population from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication, a national household study that assesses mental disorders. The Kessler study estimated how common certain mental health disorders are among Army soldiers, and whether the disorders developed prior to entering the Army. The most common disorders in soldiers included ADHD and intermittent explosive disorder. Almost 85 percent of those who self-identified as having had a mental health disorder reported that the problem began prior to joining the Army. For some of the disorders — including ADHD, intermittent explosive disorder, and substance use disorder — an early age of onset occurred more among soldiers than in civilians. The study also looked at role impairment, which is whether the disorders seriously affected the soldiers’ home life, work performance, social life, or close relationships. Severe role impairment was found to be substantially more common among soldiers with a mental disorder, than those without.

Although the root causes for the rise in Army suicides still remain unknown, these three studies point to risk factors, which may help identify potential protective factors, focus existing prevention programs, and foster the development of novel efforts to reduce suicide and suicidal thoughts and actions among service members at higher risk.