Originally published Veterans Suicide Report Reminds Us How Much Work is Left to Do on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/mental-health-resilience/veterans-suicide-report-reminds-us-how-much-work-is-left-to-do/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=veterans-suicide-report-reminds-us-how-much-work-is-left-to-do at Homeland Security
Each year in its annual suicide prevention report, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paints a complex—and by nature, troubling—picture of suicide deaths among veterans. It is the most comprehensive accounting of veteran suicide and gives invaluable insight into where prevention efforts are most needed.
The VA’s 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows signs that veterans advocates, policymakers, health care providers and stakeholders are making a dent in this devastating epidemic. For example, among veterans using the national veterans crisis line—988+1—the suicide rate in the first month following documented contact in 2021 was 22.5% lower than in 2019. We know this resource can save lives, and the numbers support that.
However, VA’s latest numbers are also a sharp reminder of how far we have to go. In 2022, more than 6,400 veterans died by suicide. That amounts to an average of at least 17 veterans every day—a number that represents cherished lives needlessly lost and families forever changed. And while the scourge of suicide impacts people from all walks of life, the veteran community remains disproportionately at risk.
In 2022, rate of suicide among veterans was roughly double than that of their civilian counterparts. This in part reflects the unique experiences and challenges faced by those who wore the uniform. It is imperative that the VA, Congress and all stakeholders have a firm grasp on the factors that put veterans uniquely at risk of suicide and incorporate them into suicide prevention efforts.
Take for example military sexual trauma (MST), which refers to sexual assault and harassment while in the military. Among men using VA health care who reported experiencing MST, the suicide rate rose a staggering 37.8% in 2022, compared to a 1.8% increase in those without a history of MST. Among women VA health care users, the overall suicide rate was 75% higher for those who reported experiencing MST. This trend of increased suicide risk among MST survivors has been evident each year since 2009 when such tracking began.
And yet, the VA’s suicidality predictive model designed to identify high-risk veterans so that providers can intervene early does not account for MST in its algorithm. The VA must revise this model with the urgency it demands.
The VA’s latest report also shows how critical it is that we understand the use of firearms in suicide deaths among veterans. In 2022, over 73% of veteran suicide deaths involved a firearm—a rate that is significantly higher compared to the civilian population. The firearm suicide rate among women veterans was 144.4% higher than nonveteran women.
To be clear: no one is interested in infringing on veterans’ rights. Instead, we must consider how to better educate and equip veterans to keep themselves safe in times of crisis. For example, all VA providers—including those in VA-contracted community care—should be continuously trained on lethal means safety and suicide prevention among veterans.
We must also consider challenges that come with things like age, geography and gender. Although the latest data showed a dramatic decrease in suicide rates among women veterans, the year prior witnessed an equally dramatic spike. These fluctuations in annual data obscure the troubling reality that suicide rates among women veterans have been steadily rising since the first year of reporting and remain astonishingly higher than their female civilian counterparts.
And as shown in the 2024 special report from DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness, there are significant gaps in the VA’s consideration of the unique risk factors contributing to suicide among women. The VA must continue to be intentional about providing gender-specific care and support.
While the VA’s latest report gives us signs of hope and guidance for the future, now is not the time to let up on the gas pedal. We must remain steadfast and continue to prioritize putting an end to the outsized impact of suicide on veterans and their families. We owe them as much.
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Originally published Veterans Suicide Report Reminds Us How Much Work is Left to Do on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/mental-health-resilience/veterans-suicide-report-reminds-us-how-much-work-is-left-to-do/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=veterans-suicide-report-reminds-us-how-much-work-is-left-to-do at Homeland Security
Originally published Homeland Security