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. 2025 Apr;61(3):544-554.
doi: 10.1007/s10597-024-01361-9. Epub 2024 Oct 14.

Addressing the Needs of Hispanic Veterans who Live in Rural Areas to Improve Suicide Prevention Efforts

I Magaly Freytes  1 , Nathaniel Eliazar-Macke  2 , Melanie Orejuela  2 , Janet Lopez  3 , Talia Spark  4 , Bryann DeBeer  5   6 , Magda Montague  7 , Constance Uphold  2   8
Affiliations

Addressing the Needs of Hispanic Veterans who Live in Rural Areas to Improve Suicide Prevention Efforts

I Magaly Freytes et al. Community Ment Health J. 2025 Apr.

Erratum in

Abstract

Despite the alarming recent increase in suicide rates among Hispanic Veterans, suicide among this population remains relatively understudied and little is known about their needs and how to prevent suicide in this population. A mixed methods approach was utilized to conduct a needs assessment of community suicide prevention services and resources available to Hispanic Veterans living in rural areas in the Veterans Health Administration's Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) 8. Five themes related to the suicide prevention's needs and gaps in services were identified: (1) lack of adequate information; (2) disruptions in social support network; (3) limited or lack of access to services; (4) risky behaviors; and (5) natural disasters. Understanding the unique needs of Hispanic Veterans in rural communities and the gaps in services in these areas can help in the development of tailored suicide prevention efforts and potentially mitigate suicide disparities.

Keywords: Community-Level; Mental Health; Minority Veterans; Needs Assessment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to declare. Ethical Approval: The manuscript has not been published and will not be submitted elsewhere for publication while being considered by the journal of Community Mental Health. No part of this manuscript has been presented prior to this submission. The contents do not represent the views of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government.

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