OPERATION: RECOVERY
S U I C I D E
Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide.
A new report on U.S. military deaths contains a stark statistic: An estimated 7,057 service members have died during military operations since 9/11, while suicides among active duty personnel and veterans of those conflicts have reached 30,177 — that’s more than four times as many, NPR reported.
The data highlights the divide between the dangers posed by war and the persistent mental health crisis in not only the military but the country at large.
“Even the very conservative estimate that I came up with, it’s horrifying,” Thomas Suitt, who wrote the paper for Brown University’s Cost of War Project, said in an interview with NPR. “We should really, really care.”
The paper highlights some of the reasons why people in the armed forces appear to be taking their lives at higher rates, though experts say the root causes of the crisis remain elusive.
The Department of Defense is strongly committed to preventing suicide within our military community through suicide prevention, intervention and postvention initiatives, the DOD said on its website. If you are a Veteran in crisis, or you know Veteran who is, there are immediate resources available to support both.
Resources:
The Military Crisis Line connects those in need to a trained counselor with a single phone call or click of a mouse. This confidential, immediate help is available 24/7 at no cost to active-duty, Guard and reserve members, their families and friends.
Contact the Military Crisis Line at 800-273-8255, then press 1, or access online chat by texting 838255.
If you are thinking about suicide, click on https://www.dbsalliance.org/crisis/suicide-hotline-helpline-information/