SUICIDE PREVENTION IN THE VETERAN COMMUNITY
by Leslie Parsons
In August 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a statement which included the latest provisional estimates for suicide deaths in the United States. They shared that an estimated 49,449 Americans took their own lives in 2022. Approximately 12% of those who committed suicide were veterans. Sound Off, a non profit organization that tackles the problem of veteran suicide, states that the rate of suicide among veterans is 1.5x higher than among non-veterans. These are troubling statistics, particularly for the military and veteran communities.
Fortunately, recent years have shown a decline in veteran suicide (which can be attributed to the increase of support services for the veteran community and an overall increase of visibility on the challenges being faced). According to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report published by the Veterans Administration’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in September 2022, the number of veteran suicides in 2020 was the lowest it’s been since 2006.
These reports give us a glimpse into both the scope of the problem of veteran suicide and the ways in which the Veterans’ Administration (VA) is attempting to address it. The VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention collects data and works with mental health experts to ensure that the needs of the veteran community are being met with the most up-to-date treatment methods. However, despite its best efforts, the VA is unable to provide adequate support to every veteran in need of mental health services- therefore creating a need for additional support from the broader community
Give an Hour (GAH) is one such national organization that tackles veteran mental health issues. GAH is dedicated to creating resilient individuals and communities by addressing gaps and barriers related to access and delivery of mental health services. GAH provides a breadth of evidence-based, consumer-informed therapeutic strategies supporting veterans, active duty servicemembers, and their caregivers and loved ones. GAH also serves the general public, focusing their efforts on those who cannot obtain help elsewhere, due to financial difficulty, lack of access, or fear of the negative stigma that is sometimes attached to mental health.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, so we reached out to Kristin Richardson, GAH’s Director of Public Relations and Communications, for some advice on how friends, family, and community members can help prevent veteran suicide. Here are some of her helpful tips:
Educate Yourself
Suicide is a serious problem for many communities and, as a result, there are a number of organizations that offer education and training to those who want to help prevent friends, neighbors, and loved ones from taking their own lives. Richardson cites the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as a particularly good resource.
Recognize the signs
Richardson says that while someone contemplating suicide may not talk about harming themselves, they may say things like “I just don’t care anymore” or “I have no hope left.” She also mentioned that those thinking about killing themselves might start giving away all their possessions or send seemingly random “goodbye” messages. Signs like these should be taken seriously, as they are calls for help.
Ask Questions
It is a myth that expressing concern or asking someone if they are having a difficult time or contemplating harming themselves puts the thought of suicide into their heads or encourages them to act on those thoughts. On the contrary, Richardson says, asking these kinds of questions has the opposite effect, because it lets people who are suffering know that there is someone who cares about them and is willing to help.
Address the Fear
American society has made great strides over the past few decades when it comes to openly discussing issues of mental health, but there are still many who see asking for help as a sign of “weakness.” Sound Off reports that 43.6% of post-9/11 veterans fear that seeking support for mental health will harm their career. Those in need of help need to be reassured that asking for it is a sign of strength, not weakness, and that they are loved and supported.
In addition to providing mental health resources, services, and support to individuals from both the military and civilian populations, GAH provides training to organizations that deal with communities that have a higher-than-average rate of suicide. For example, they recently began offering trainings on recognizing and dealing with the warning signs of suicide at a military base, after there was a spike in the number of suicides there.
True North is honored to support the work done by Give an Hour and other suicide awareness and prevention organizations. For more information about Give an Hour and the work they do with the military community, visit their website here.