Veteran Suicides Double Civilian Deaths in Minnesota

Despite efforts, veteran suicides remain alarming
St. Cloud Times
Kirsti Marohn
November 16, 2014

The statistics are jarring, and they don't seem to be changing.

An estimated 22 veterans take their own lives every day in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

In Minnesota, it's a similar pattern. A St. Cloud Times analysis of death records found that 102 people who had served in the armed forces killed themselves in Minnesota in 2013.

Veterans in Minnesota are dying by suicide at a rate more than double that of the general population — an estimated 30 per 100,000 last year, compared to 12.5 per 100,000 in the general population.

While there have been numerous cases of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan taking their own lives in recent years, it's not just recently deployed veterans who are dying by suicide.

In fact, the largest number of suicide deaths are older men, said Dan Reidenberg, executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, a national nonprofit based in Bloomington.

The vast majority of veterans who commit suicide are older than 55 years, Reidenberg said. Many have had lengthy battles with post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, anxiety or other problems, he said.
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