More Veterans Have Died By Suicide Than The Va Previously Reported New Study Shows
More military veterans died by suicide than the Department of Veterans Affairs had previously reported, a new study found.
The number of suicides among former service members is 1.37 times greater in eight states than the VA had reported from 2014 to 2018, according to a study released Saturday by Americas Warrior Partnership , a national nonprofit organization that works to end veteran suicide.
If those states represent a national rate, that would mean about 24 veterans die by suicide each day, compared with the VAs average of 17.7 suicides in that time frame, the report found.
“Its devastating,” said Jim Lorraine, AWPs president, who served in the Air Force for 22 years. “Im not only a veteran myself. My son serves, my son-in-law serves. My wife is a vet. I know a lot of veterans who have died from suicide.”
The report examined data from Alabama, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and Oregon. Those eight states, which represent 18% of all U.S. veterans, were the only states to provide usable data, AWP said, adding that most states had been barred from releasing data because of confidentiality restrictions.
Researchers said the discrepancy likely resulted from human error and a lack of resources that led states to undercount and mislabel veteran deaths.
Were not pointing fingers at anyone,” Lorraine said. “Were just saying its sobering to look at the numbers.
A New Study Reveals That Veteran Suicides May Be Higher Than Federal Estimates Why The Discrepancy In Reporting
James Shepphard, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7442 and an Army veteran, leads an honor guard in a rifle salute during a Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021.
Spenser Heaps, Deseret News
If you or someone you are concerned about is at risk, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by texting or dialing 988, or access the SafeUT, SafeUTNG or SafeUT Frontline apps.
Veteran suicides may be higher than federal estimates, according to a new study done by Americas Warrior Partnership in partnership with the University of Alabama and Duke University. They reviewed census death data from eight states over a five-year period and found thousands of suspected or confirmed suicides not included in federal calculations.
The partnership looked at two numbers. The first is former service member suicide. The group found their rates to be 37% higher than the numbers reported by the VA for the years 2014-2018. The VA reports an average of 17 suicides per day while the group found a rate of 24 per day.
The second number is those who died by self-injury mortality. The group found an additional 20 former service members dying per day, which combined with the 24 suicides per day end up with 44 per day, more than doubling the VA reported numbers.
Military Service Members And Veterans
Suicide is an important problem affecting military service members and veterans. The military services include an Active Component and a Reserve Component. Estimates from the U.S. Department of Defense suggest that although suicide rates vary across these groups, they remain higher than they were in 2003.1
Among veterans, the suicide rate appears to have stabilized in recent years.2 But this rate remains unacceptably high. Recent estimates suggest that 22 veterans may die by suicide each day.2
To address this serious problem, the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs have put into place comprehensive suicide prevention programs.
Recommended Reading: Do You Get A 1099 For Disability
Va Is Expanding Its Caring Contacts Program Based On Promising Evidence That Such Contacts Can Save Lives
Caring contacts are brief, personal, nondemanding follow-up messages sent to patients after they receive care. These messages have been linked to decreased suicide attempts . VA now sends follow-up letters to veterans who receive care at a VA facility or call the Veterans Crisis Line and choose to identify themselves to the call responder . VA researchers are testing the approach with other patient populations, including those seen in VA emergency departments .
Suicide Rate Among Veterans Up Again Slightly Despite Focus On Prevention Efforts
The rate of suicide among veterans ticked upwards in recent years despite increased public attention and funding on the problem, according to a new report released by Department of Veterans Affairs officials on Thursday.
However, the latest data still lags two years behind present conditions and does not include any figures from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which mental health experts have warned may be causing even larger increases in the rates of mental distress and self harm among veterans.
The suicide report which is typically released in early October, but was delayed more than a month this year shows the rate of suicide among veterans at 17.6 a day in 2018. Thats a slight increase from 2017, when the number was 17.5.
Numerous public figures and public awareness campaigns in recent years have quoted the figure of 20 a day in reference to veterans suicide, but VA officials last year clarified that estimate also includes active-duty troops, guardsmen and reservists.
RELATED
From 2005 to 2018, the overall suicide rate has remained largely unchanged, between 17 and 18 veterans a day. Thats in spite of numerous public awareness campaigns, VA outreach programs and new department training mandates enacted over the last two presidential administrations.
In a statement, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said that despite the lack of overall progress in suicide prevention among veterans, the report does show some areas of improvement.
RELATED
Also Check: Ptsd Loss Of Loved One
Who Is Vietnams Youngest Vet
Its possible that Vietnams youngest living veteran is 61 years old. Heres a fact: On October 1, 1972, Jeffery Lynn Scheller, USN, was born on July 31, 1954, and was killed in action.
He was 18 months, 2 months, and 1 day old when he was born. When he was still 17 years old, he arrived on Yankee Station, Vietnam, in early May 1972.
New Va Study Finds 20 Veterans Commit Suicide Each Day
This story was originally published July 7, 2016, at 6:03 a.m. EST. It has since been updated.
Roughly 20 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide, according to new data from the Department of Veterans Affairs a figure that dispels the often quoted, but problematic, “22 a day” estimate yet solidifies the for the problem and replaces it with an equally disturbing mental health crisis the number implied.
In 2014, the latest year available, more than 7,400 veterans took their own lives, accounting for 18 percent of all suicides in America. Veterans make up less than 9 percent of the U.S. population.
About 70 percent of veterans who took their own lives were not regular users of VA services.
The new data, set to being released publicly Thursday today, is the most comprehensive suicide study ever conducted by the department.
For years, the department has estimated the veterans suicide toll nationwide at around 22 individuals a day, but veterans groups noted numerous gaps in how that estimate was constructed. Most notably, the numbers were based on information from only about 20 states and did not contain full military records from the Defense Department.
The new study includes more than 50 million veterans records from 1979 to 2014, including every state. The data, compiled over the last four years, also comes from the Centers of for Disease Control.
Veterans groups hailed the new research as a critical step ahead in addressing the problem.
Don’t Miss: Is Scheuermann’s Disease A Disability
Are Veterans At A Higher Risk For Suicide
The suicide rate for veterans is 1.5 times higher than that of the general population.4
Comparing the rate among female veterans to non-Veteran adult women, the rate is 2.5 times higher.5 From 2001 to 2014, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs reports an increased suicide rate among women using VA health services from 14.4 per 100,000 to 17.3 per 100,000.6
Suicide rates are especially high among older veterans. According the VA, in 2016, about 58% of all veterans committed suicide were among Veterans age 55 years or older.4
Several other factors, in addition to distance, play a role in higher suicide rates. Certain emotional precursors may precede suicide events, including feelings of loneliness, isolation, hopelessness, and depression.8 In a summary of multiple studies, the VA found a variety of factors that may increase the risk of suicide, especially where multiple factors exist, some of these include:9
- Acute psychosocial stressors.
- Higher doses of opioid medications for pain control.
- Mental health conditions like anxiety disorder, manic-depressive disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder , and traumatic brain injury .
- Substance abuse, especially heavy binge drinking.
Do More Than 20 Veterans Die By Suicide Every Day
Do 20 veterans die every day by suicide? Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., cited that figure in a recent press release that accompanied a veterans mental health and suicide prevention bill he introduced.
Saying that the goal of the bill is to “connect more veterans with the mental health care they need and earned,” Manchin said in the release that “it is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day” and that “of those, 14 have received no treatment or care from the VA.”
The data needs to be put into context, but the statistic is largely on target.
In 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office for Suicide Prevention published a report that found that “in 2014, an average of 20 veterans died by suicide each day. Six of the 20 were recent users of Veterans Health Administration services in 2013 or 2014.”
The report said that the data “confirms that when compared to their non-veteran peers, most veterans are at an increased risk for suicide.”
At the same time, the report cautioned that the overall number of daily suicides obscures key variations within age group and sex within the veteran population.
Featured Fact-check
For instance, veterans between 18 and 39, between 50 and 69, and 80 and older have seen increases in suicide rates, the report found. And suicide rates are higher for male veterans than female veterans.
Manchin said, “It is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day.”
Recommended Reading: When Do Disability Get A Stimulus Check
Veteran Service Organizations Express Urgent Need For Action
The veteran community understands the gravity of this issue and the urgent need for action to address the problems of suicide. The abundance of evidence from veteran service organization membership surveys demonstrates the need for evidence-based approaches to preventing suicide through lethal means safety especially the safe storage of firearms.
Is There A Ribbon From The Vietnam War
Is the Vietnam War Service Medal/Ribbon a legally recognized official emblem? No, it is not a military medal or ribbon issued by the United States, which has been authorized and awarded by the United States. The US military services are known as the Department of Defense.
Serving military personnel may not wear it on their military uniform.
You May Like: How To Get Social Security Disability Benefits For Depression
You Play A Critical Role In Our Mission
Every donation we receive helps empower service members, veterans and their families with critical resources and support.
The Battalion is our team of veteran lifesavers, standing side-by-side with us in the fight to solve the military and veteran suicide crisis. By joining The Battalion, you are helping veterans and service members find their way back to a life worth living.
You have the power to save lives in our military community. Because this is personal.
Cdcs Efforts To Use Data For Suicide Prevention
CDC uses data to understand the contributors to suicide, including its scope and magnitude, who is most impacted, and to track trends over time to inform prevention and response efforts.
For almost 20 years, CDC has collected suicide-related data through the National Violent Death Reporting System . This system is now in all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, enabling the combination of reports from medical examiners and coroners, vital statistics, and law enforcement to give a much richer picture to better understand the details surrounding a suicide death. This information helps states and communities to better tailor suicide prevention efforts. Investigating a suicide is time consuming and includes abstracting up to 600 data points from multiple sources . States often require 16 months or more to determine suicide as a manner of death and post the information into the NVDRS.
Also Check: Can You Get Disability If You Do Not Work
When Will The Last Ww2 Vet Die
The very last of these may die in the early 2040s. So it seems like while World War II vets are dwindling in number, they will continue to be around in the 2020s, 2030s, early 2040s and of course the rest of the 2010s.
Who was the last veteran of World War 2?
George H. W. Bush was the last World War II veteran President. Bush trained as a naval aviator at age 18 and flew a TBM Avenger bomber in 58 combat missions.
How many World War 2 veterans are still alive?
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 558,000 of the roughly 16 million American World War 2 veterans are still alive as of 2018.
Us Veterans Die By Suicide Every Day A New Campaign Aims To Change That
Gov. Eric Holcomb stands next to Tony Kanaan, 2013 Indy 500 race winner and Chip Ganassi , owner of Chip Ganassi Racing.
Seventeen veterans die by suicide everyday in the U.S. Gov. Eric Holcomb is trying to change that by involving Indiana with a new nationwide awareness campaign.
Holcomb, along with members of INDYCAR and the American Legion, announced the launch of the Be The One initiative at a press conference Wednesday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The campaign aims to raise awareness about veteran suicide deaths and remove barriers to mental health care for veterans.
In 2019, the rate of veteran suicide rate decreased, according to a report by the Department of Veteran Affairs. But veterans still die by suicide at twice the rate of the adult population in the U.S.
Holcomb, a navy veteran, said as part of the campaign, Indiana will introduce a hotline in July that will connect veterans to mental health resources.
I think it’s our duty, quite frankly, as citizens of this nation and state, for those who are fortunate to make it back, to be there for them, he said.
Once youve seen war, you never stop seeing it. And that’s really the challenge: How can we link those resources to help those veterans through that transition? Clark said. Too many veterans think that asking for help is a sign of weakness.
Need crisis assistance while overseas? The following overseas locations have direct crisis line numbers:
Also Check: Does Long Term Disability Cover Maternity Leave
Are There Any Ww2 Veterans Still Alive 2021
The Second World War
Due to it being much more recent than the First World War thousands of veterans from the 1940s war are still alive today. According to US Department of Veterans Affairs statistics 240 329 of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II are alive in 2021.
Veterans And Mental Health Care
Mental illness has strong links to suicide among veterans. While alcohol and drug abuse accounts for higher suicide risk, other co-occurring mental disorders are often associated between substance abuse and suicide.10 The more common mental disorders among veterans are PTSD and depression. For example, exposure to trauma or suffering a TBI while in the service can lead to increased risk of both substance abuse and PTSD or depression.12
Veterans coping with the dual diagnosis of substance abuse and PTSD are likely to have psychiatric and medical conditions, such as:12
- Anxiety disorders.
Don’t Miss: When Did The Disability Rights Movement Start
Causes Of Veteran Suicides
There are countless factors that contribute to the increasing military suicide rate. Things like combat exposure, injury, struggling to return to civilian life, and military sexual trauma all add to the risk of self-harm and committing suicide. For many people, this leads to coping with drugs or alcohol, which only increases veteran suicide risk.
for Veterans by Veterans
Substance abuse is deeply connected to higher suicide rates and is one of the major causes of veteran suicides, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration . Substance use and co-occurring disorders are particularly common struggles for veterans, and these can be deadly when left untreated.
A large portion of veterans experience all of these difficulties, and more, as a result of the nature of their careers. In the course of their military service, veterans sacrifice their own freedoms and well-being in order to better serve their country. Even after separating from the service, many veterans find themselves struggling to find motivation and purpose in their lives. This is exactly why having resources in place for veterans to seek preventative and active mental health care is so essential in lowering the veteran suicides per day rate.
Cdcs Comprehensive Public Health Approach To Suicide Prevention
Suicide has no single cause and is influenced by a range of risk and protective factors at the individual, relationship, community, and societal levels. These include economic issues, lack of individual or community connectedness, underlying mental health and substance use disorders, and easy access to lethal means among people at risk. Other key factors include depressed mood, history of suicidal thoughts or plans, crisis in the preceding or upcoming two weeks, intimate partner problems, physical health problems, and alcohol dependence.4
CDC also recognizes the interconnection between suicide, substance use, and adverse childhood experiences . Experiences during childhood, such as witnessing violence, experiencing abuse or neglect, or losing a loved one to suicide are considered ACEs. While suicide, overdose, and ACEs can be viewed as independent challenges, they are also consequences of shared root causes that can be prevented by upstream prevention strategies that address common, underlying shared risk and protective factors at the individual, family, and community levels. Incorporating this holistic perspective is critical as we work to address suicide, including suicide among Veterans.
- Evaluate intervention outcomes to ensure quality and sustainability
- Develop a communication plan to share progress, lessons learned and successes with partners and the community
You May Like: How Much Can You Make While On Disability