“Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans,” screams the headline from CBS News. But there is more to the story than the report first admits too – and while one suicide is one too many, the report is better than you think.
The Department of Veterans Affairs released its ‘Suicide Data Report 2014.’ The study’s author, Janet E. Kemp, RN, PhD, used data from the VA and 23 states to look at the issue of suicide and the military veteran.
The Census Bureau estimates there are 21.5 million veterans in the United States, with 19.3 million male veterans and 2.2 million women vets. However, the 23 states studied contain less than 50- percent of the U.S. population in 2012.
Included is data from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Interestingly, the state with the second largest population, California is not included in the study.
Veterans, ages 18-24 enrolled in the VA’s health program, killed themselves at a rate of 80 per 100,000 in 2011. This means two veterans a day in this age group, commit suicide, down from the 22 per day in 2010.
The study also shows suicide among civilian men, 35 to 64, increasing by more than 27-percent. On the other hand, the suicide rate dropped over 16-percent for male veterans in the same age group..
For women 35 to 64, who served, a 31.2 percent rate was found while the rate for civilians was slightly higher at 31.5 percent. The greatest percentage of suicides among female veterans resulted from both poisoning and firearm injury, while men tend to use a firearm in most cases.
If you are currently active duty military or a veteran and are experiencing emotional difficulties, call the VA’s Suicide Prevention Office at 1-800-273-8255.
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