Nichter B, Hill ML, Na PJ, et al. - According to the findings of this cohort study, despite dire predictions that the COVID-19 pandemic would worsen suicidality among US military veterans, the rate of suicide ideation (SI) decreased at the population level nearly 10 months into the pandemic. Veterans infected with COVID-19 were more than twice as likely to report SI, indicating the need for additional research into the potential link between COVID-19 infection and suicidal behavior.

• At the peripandemic assessment, 233 (7.8%) of 3,078 US veterans (mean [SD] age, 63.2 [14.7] years; 91.6% men; 79.3% non-Hispanic White veterans, 10.3% non-Hispanic Black veterans, and 6.0% Hispanic veterans) reported past-year SI, and 8 (0.3%) reported suicide attempts.

• SI declined from 10.6% prepandemic to 7.8% peripandemic in the previous year.

• In total, 82 veterans (2.6%) developed new-onset SI over the follow-up period.

• Low social support, suicide attempt history, lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder and/or depression, past-year alcohol use disorder severity, COVID-19 infection, and worsening of social relationships during the pandemic were the strongest risk factors and COVID-19-related variables for new-onset SI after adjusting for sociodemographic and military characteristics.