Veterans with PTSD more likely to die from suicide, hepatitis

Veterans with PTSD have a higher risk of dying from mental illness and other diseases than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers looked at mortality data from nearly 500,000 veterans who started treatment for their PTSD at a VA medical center between 2008 and 2013 and found that veterans with PTSD were about twice as likely to die from suicide, accidental injuries, and hepatitis than the general population. Roughly 1% of veterans with PTSD also died within a year of starting treatment for the condition, which is about 5% higher than the general population. One limitation of the study, however, is that it did not account for other factors that could have contributed to death, including other diseases or psychiatric conditions the veterans may have had.