ASCEND for Veteran Suicide Prevention: 2024 Survey
About the Survey
Assessing Social and Community Environments with National Data (ASCEND) for Veteran Suicide Prevention is the second wave of a large, national survey research project funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. The ASCEND team designs and implements a recurring national survey every two years that can function as a surveillance system for non-fatal suicidal self-directed violence (NF-SSDV) among Veterans, including those who do and do not use Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services.
Although previous work has provided valuable insights into the prevalence of NF-SSDV in Veterans who use VHA services, little is known about the prevalence of NF-SSDV in the broader Veteran population. This is particularly problematic because only 30 percent of Veterans use VHA services. Findings from ASCEND will be used to inform effective public health-oriented suicide prevention strategies for all Veterans. ASCEND also includes an increased focus on hard-to-reach and often understudied Veteran populations, such as women Veterans, rural Veterans, and Veterans who have recently left active-duty service. ASCEND is designed to produce a nationally representative assessment of the prevalence of NF-SSDV in relation to community risk and protective factors among U.S. Veterans. Findings will be used to improve existing and inform new suicide prevention programs for U.S. Veterans, both in the VA and within the communities in which Veterans live.
The VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) launched ASCEND for Veteran Suicide Prevention in 2019 to:
- Serve as a surveillance system through recurring administration to document prevalence and trends over time in NF-SSDV among Veterans at the national and state levels
- Provide estimates of the impact of risk and protective factors across all levels of the social-ecological model for suicide on NF-SSDV among Veterans
For more information about ASCEND, please visit the study website.
Participation
Participation in ASCEND is by invitation only in order to ensure that we receive input from Veterans all across the U.S., and especially from Veterans who have not been well-represented previously (such as rural Veterans, female Veterans, etc.). If you are invited to participate, we sincerely hope that you will consider doing so.
We value your trust and prioritize security and privacy of all information and data you share with us. We need your voice—working together, we can prevent Veteran suicide!
If you receive an invitation, please add your voice by clicking on the survey link: ASCEND.norc.org.
Who Is Conducting This Survey?
The VA Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention has contracted with NORC at the University of Chicago, a non-profit research institution, to conduct this survey. This study is funded by the VA Office of Suicide Prevention.
About NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC is a nonprofit research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic and policy decisions. NORC has over 80 years of experience conducting social science research and is a leader in survey research in particular.
Results
Results from this survey will be publicized by the VA.
Are You a Study Participant?
FAQ
Assessing Social and Community Environments with National Data (ASCEND) for Veteran Suicide Prevention is a recurring research study designed, with Veteran input, to learn about:
- How many Veterans experience or do not experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors
- What experiences and life circumstances increase or decrease Veterans risk for suicidal thinking and behavior
- How to improve suicide prevention programs for Veterans, both in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and in the communities where Veterans live
To learn more about how we obtain and apply Veteran input for ASCEND, please visit the ASCEND website.
- We have randomly selected Veterans to participate in this study.
- Veterans selected to participate reflect the diversity of all Veterans.
- ASCEND surveys a new randomly selected group of Veterans every two years.
- If you received an invitation, we want to hear from you—it is okay if you completed the survey in a prior year.
- ASCEND is designed to understand the experiences and perspectives of Veterans from all backgrounds.
- We need to hear from Veterans in every part of the U.S. and from all age groups, races/ethnicities, genders, and service eras. We are interested in hearing from Veterans regardless of their discharge type, eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) services or benefits, or use of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) services.
- We want to learn from Veterans with or without suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
All information obtained from ASCEND will be protected and kept confidential. Information will be summarized across participants and will not be used to identify any individual Veteran. Survey responses will be used for research purposes only and will never be connected to VA records or impact your health care or eligibility for any community or VA services. Data from ASCEND will NOT be included in your medical records.
By taking this survey, you will help VA improve existing and create new programs to save Veterans’ lives. Your response will help ensure that all Veterans have access to effective suicide prevention programs.
You can access the ASCEND survey by visiting the survey link: ASCEND.norc.org. To enter the survey, you will need your PIN, which is in the letter or email sent to you. If you need help accessing the survey or want to complete the survey over the telephone, please call 866-999-3340.
Please call 866-999-3340 or email ASCEND@norc.org. You can also visit the study website.