Despite ongoing initiatives to combat the suicide crisis among veterans, recent findings show that the rates have stagnated.
According to data released by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), approximately 17.6 veterans die by suicide each day, a statistic that held steady from 2021 to 2022.
Current Statistics and Trends
In total, more than 6,400 veterans lost their lives to suicide in 2022.
This figure is particularly concerning, as it marks the 14th time in the past 15 years that veteran suicide totals have exceeded this number, suggesting only minimal progress has been made in suicide prevention efforts within the VA.
While it’s troubling that the overall veteran suicide rate hasn’t dropped, there is a glimmer of hope in the broader statistics.
Nationally, suicide rates increased by nearly 4% during the same timeframe, which may indicate that the VA’s strategies are somewhat successful in reducing the severity of a national crisis. Dr. Matthew Miller, who heads the VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention, expressed that although younger veterans are seeing a decline in suicide rates, older veterans are showing a troubling increase, making targeted intervention strategies even more crucial.
The gap between veterans and their civilian peers remains significant; veterans are nearly twice as likely to die by suicide.
From 2020 to 2022, the overall suicide rate for veterans grew by 2%.
Alarmingly, since 2010, over 84,000 veterans have taken their own lives—this number exceeds the total combat deaths of U.S. military personnel in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined.
VA’s Efforts and Challenges
VA Secretary Denis McDonough voiced his deep concern over the ongoing tragedies, reaffirming the department’s dedication to tackling veteran suicide.
He emphasized the VA’s priority is to ensure veterans have access to timely and effective mental health care.
On a more positive note, there are some encouraging trends within the data.
For instance, the suicide rate among female veterans dropped by about 24% from 2021 to 2022, contrasting sharply with a 5% increase in non-veteran women.
Younger veterans, especially those under 35 and those recently discharged from service, have demonstrated lower rates of suicide.
Additionally, veterans living without permanent housing benefited from a 19% decrease in suicide rates, suggesting that targeted outreach programs are effective.
A significant concern is that around 60% of those who died by suicide were not enrolled in the VA healthcare system.
Among those who were, the highest rates occurred among veterans who had minimal contact with healthcare professionals.
This points to the critical need for increased engagement between veterans and medical services, as closer interactions have shown to enhance suicide prevention outcomes.
Call for Reevaluation
Nevertheless, the overarching statistics reflect a harsh reality: an average of 17 veterans take their lives each day.
The stagnation in progress has frustrated advocates and lawmakers alike, leading to calls for a thorough reevaluation of the VA’s methods in addressing this crisis.
Industry leaders have raised concerns about the sufficiency of the data backing federal suicide prevention initiatives, expressing that decades-old VA strategies have not appeared to yield meaningful results, resulting in deep losses and significant spending without demonstrable improvements.
The need for a fresh approach is urgent and overdue.
Source: Militarytimes