So far this year, the trend is comparable to last year, said Lt. Col. Thomas E. Languirand, head of command policies and programs.
As of last week, there had been 38 confirmed suicides this year and 12 more deaths that are suspected suicides but still under investigation, he said.
June 11, Lawsuit Update: 43,000 Veterans Call VA Suicide Hotline Set Up in Response to Lawsuit
Julie Sherwood
Daily Messenger
Jun 11, 2008
June 10, 2008, Canandaigua, NY - U.S. Army soldiers committed suicide in 2007 at the highest rate on record, and the toll is climbing this year as long war deployments stretch on.
At the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, the national suicide-prevention hotline had fielded 43,294 calls as of April 30. Of those calls, 885 resulted in a rescue, the VA reported.
When suicidal thoughts include specifics and indicate an immediate danger, emergency medical personnel are dispatched, said Lynn Abaide, suicide prevention coordinator for the Canandaigua VA and its Rochester outpatient clinic.
“We know we need to intervene now,” she said of the rescues. “It’s a team effort.”
All veterans and their families who turn to the hotline receive ongoing help, explained Abaide. “We guide these folks into treatment.”
About half the calls that come to the hotline are from veterans themselves, she said, while the other half tend to be family members and loved ones.
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