The National Center for Veterans’ Studies revealed earlier this year that there is an alarmingly high suicide risk among war veterans in college. A report from the Department of Veterans Affairs put the plight of our nation’s veterans further into perspective, with data showing that approximately 18 veterans commit suicide each day.
According to the VA, there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the department. In Fiscal Year 2009, there were 1,621 suicide attempts by men and 247 by women who served in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The study found that 7 percent of suicide attempts among veterans were successful. Of those that were not, 11 percent attempted suicide again within nine months.
However, VA officials say that suicide prevention programs put in place save approximately 250 lives each year, and they credit the department’s national suicide hotline for preventing 7,000 attempts. The hotline receives about 10,000 calls a month.
Another recently published study pointed toward skyrocketing mental health costs for the VA, as more troops come home and will be in need of care.
Another recently published study pointed toward skyrocketing mental health costs for the VA, as more troops come home and will be in need of care.
Source: ArmyTimes
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.