Details Left Out on Veterans Suicide Gossip

If you still want to talk about how many veterans you think are committing suicide day by day, consider the following. 

John Wooden

Overview of data for the years between 2001-2014

§ In 2014, there were 41,425 suicides among U.S. adults. Among all U.S. adult deaths from suicide, 18%(7,403) were identified as Veterans of U.S. military service. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults was 15.2 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adults has increased by 23.0%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among all Veterans was 35.3 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veterans has increased by 32.2%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult males was 26.2 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult males has increased by 0.3%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males was 37.0 per 100,000.

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran males has increased by 30.5%.

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult females was 7.2 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. civilian adult females has increased by 39.7%. 

§ In 2014, the rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran females was 18.9 per 100,000. 

• Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of suicide among U.S. Veteran females has increased by 85.2%.

And to think this is after the Veterans Crisis Line did all this,

Since the establishment of the VCL through May 2016 the VCL:

o Has answered over 2.3 million calls, made over 289,000 chat connections, and over 55,000 texts; 

o Has initiated the dispatch of emergency services to callers in imminent suicidal crisis over 61,000 times; 

o Has provided over 376,000 referrals to a VA Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) thus ensuring Veterans are connected to local care;

And all the awareness groups have been doing a lot of talking but hardly any research. Including the fact that what they have been doing may have made them feel better about themselves, but did very little to get veterans to feel hope for their own lives. 

If you want to change the outcome, better start with with facts that got us to where we already are.