VA Study: 22 Vets Commit Suicide Every Day

Veterans Affairs says it has responded to the findings by creating a task force "to provide recommendations for innovative mental health care." It has also increased staff for the VA crisis hotline.

An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide in the United States every day, a slightly higher number than the 18-per-day rate the Department of Veterans Affairs had indicated in years past, according to a VA study made public today.

"We have more work to do," VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a statement released Friday. "We will use this data to continue to strengthen our suicide prevention efforts and ensure all veterans receive the care they have earned and deserve."

The chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee called the pace of veterans suicides unacceptable. "What we're seeing is an extraordinary tragedy which speaks to the horror of war and the need for us to do a much better job of assisting our soldiers and their families after they return home," says Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.

Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), chairman of the House VA Committee, said he is holding a hearing Feb. 13 to find out "if the VA's complex system of mental health and suicide prevention services (is) improving the health and wellness of our heroes in need."

Researchers found that the average age of a veteran who commits suicide is about 60. Analysts concluded that Vietnam and female veterans need particular focus.They also determined that a very intense period of risk for suicide is the first four weeks after someone leaves the military, and that this period requires strong monitoring and case management.

The analysis found that the actual number of estimated suicides per day among veterans has remained relatively stable, ranging from 20 per day in 2000 to 18 per day in 2007 and 22 per day in 2009 and 2010, the latest estimates available, according to a report on the study released Friday. The rate of suicide among veterans who use VA health care services has remained steady in recent years, at about 36 per 100,000.

The most common means of committing suicide by veterans — in half of the deaths — is drug overdose or poisoning, according to the VA study.

The department says it has responded to the findings by creating a task force "to provide recommendations for innovative mental health care." It has also increased staff for the VA crisis hotline, which the department says has been instrumental in 26,000 rescues. The VA has also is expanding its mental health staff by 1,600 clinicians and is training 800 peer-to-peer specialists to work with other veterans.

The new analysis of veteran suicides was possible because of a nearly 20-month effort to obtain suicide data on veterans from each state. At least 34 states have cooperated and another eight are in the process of doing so. The final analysis released Friday was based upon only a partial completion of data received from 21 states, the VA says.

Source: USA Today

Most soldiers coming back from war are messed up in the head.

. . . It is an after-effect of the disease we call war.

Sad ,even the seal killed the other day was suffering.

Sad ,even the seal killed the other day was suffering. Originally Posted by i'va biggen

No he was not. Chris Kyle was not suffering from PTSD. Chris Kyle took it apon himself to help other who were suffering from the disorder.

He also started charities where he would get exercise equipment to disabled vets to help assist in their recovery.

That's the kind of guy he was. A hero with a heart of gold. He was one of those freedom loving, second amendment protecting whacko gun nuts that you speak so highly of in all of your posts.

Allow me to tell you a story... a true story.... my brothers story.


He just came back from war. He was in school with a 4.0, and his first baby was due in 2 months. He got radically saved and was just LOVING life. He had some post war jitters, but nothing terrible. Then one day the army decided to change his meds to something completely different and they didn't give him a reason why. He was young and didn't ask questions. His good military mind, obeyed the doctors change in meds.


27 days later, he blew his head off. That happened Sep 8, 2011.




Since that day I have done extensive research on the military and the PTSD suicide reports. I've had to go actually talk to the families because the public data reports have nothing in them. Do you know what I found?

In 14 of the 18 families I spoke with over the next 12 months said their children were put on a new med even though they were doing fine. WHAT THE FUCK.


Gosh lefties, go ahead and try to explain that. I DARE you.

I don't see any comparison to the suicide rate for the general population. The suicide rate for veterans, by itself, doesn't mean much. Who knows, maybe they're less likely to commit suicide than non-veterans.

I think main stream media is eager to promote the image of veterans as being damaged victims, likely to murder or commit suicide. This gives MSM the opportunity to blame America for being a war monger that destroys it's citizens.

No he was not. Chris Kyle was not suffering from PTSD. Chris Kyle took it apon himself to help other who were suffering from the disorder.

He also started charities where he would get exercise equipment to disabled vets to help assist in their recovery.

That's the kind of guy he was. A hero with a heart of gold. He was one of those freedom loving, second amendment protecting whacko gun nuts that you speak so highly of in all of your posts. Originally Posted by threepeckeredbillygoat

Better do some checking before you spout off.

Better do some checking before you spout off. Originally Posted by i'va biggen

In a recent interview I heard him say that he was not suffering from PTSD, himself.

He did say in older interviews that he had "some bouts" with it when he got back but "since he had gotten his head straight and was back where he needed to be."

So you might want to do some checking before you spout off.

I think I will take his word over yours.

He is an American hero, and you are an idiot who thinks the first, second and third amendments were directed at the british.

http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=660186&page=4

Post #59

In a recent interview I heard him say that he was not suffering from PTSD, himself.

He did say in older interviews that he had "some bouts" with it when he got back but "since he had gotten his head straight and was back where he needed to be."

So you might want to do some checking before you spout off.

I think I will take his word over yours.

He is an American hero, and you are an idiot who thinks the first, second and third amendments were directed at the british.

http://www.eccie.net/showthread.php?t=660186&page=4

Post #59 Originally Posted by threepeckeredbillygoat

it ekim, we have to learn to live with it, like assup

you cannot fix being stupid