Despite strong efforts from the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to curb veteran suicides, the situation remained largely unchanged in 2022.
The VA reported that 6,407 veterans took their own lives in that year, a slight increase of three from 2021.
While this rise is modest compared to the more dramatic spike of 114 suicides observed from 2020 to 2021, it still highlights a persistent issue.
Among veterans aged 45 and younger, suicide continued to be the second leading cause of death.
Efforts to Address the Crisis
The VA and military branches took multiple steps to address this pressing challenge in 2022.
Initiatives included providing gun locks at VA and support facilities within the Navy and Marine Corps, aimed at reducing access to firearms for those in emotional distress.
Furthermore, the VA committed a substantial $13.5 billion to enhance veteran mental health services and overall well-being.
In that year alone, nearly one million people reached out for help through the Veterans Crisis Line.
However, numerous stressors that contribute to this crisis persisted in 2022, including ongoing financial difficulties and anxiety linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development reported a 7.4% rise in veteran homelessness in January 2023.
Alarmingly, the VA found that homeless veterans who had recently received care from the Veterans Health Administration had a suicide rate that was more than twice that of their housed peers, reflecting a shocking increase of 110.2%.
Trends and Statistics
VA Secretary highlighted the individual tragedy of each veteran suicide, reaffirming the organization’s commitment to providing essential care to veterans whenever and wherever needed.
He stated that insights gleaned from the report would help refine services designed to save lives.
While the overall suicide statistics maintained a consistent level, 2022 did witness noteworthy developments.
A particularly encouraging finding was the 24% reduction in suicides among young female veterans, with numbers dropping from 350 to 271.
Conversely, the number of male veteran suicides rose, with 6,163 reported, an increase of 83 from the previous year.
The report also shed light on a troubling trend regarding suicides by firearm—an area of significant concern.
Firearm-related deaths among veterans increased by 7% compared to 2021.
Moreover, when comparing veterans to their non-veteran counterparts, the incidence of suicide by firearm was considerably higher—by 144.4% for female veterans and 69.6% for male veterans.
Ongoing Challenges
These findings from the VA emerged just after the Department of Defense released its own statistics on active-duty suicides for 2023.
The Pentagon shared that 523 service members, including those in the National Guard and reserves, took their own lives last year—a jump of 30 from 2022.
Since 2011, the rate of suicide among active-duty personnel has been on the rise, even with substantial investment in support and resources for military members.
For anyone grappling with suicidal thoughts or worried about a loved one, help is available.
The Lifeline network provides 24/7 support across the U.S. Individuals can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988, connecting them to trained counselors who are ready to listen and help.
Source: Taskandpurpose.com