[Vision2020] 18 Veterans Commit Suicide Each Day!

[Tom Hansen]

This is addressed to those of you who actually give a damn:

Remember that article I posted a week ago concerning a young veteran that
committed suicide on the steps of the Dayton, Ohio VA center?

http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2010-April/069781.html

Apparently Jesse Huff's suicide is merely the tip of a very deadly iceberg
. . .

Courtesy of the Army Times . . .

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18 veterans commit suicide each day

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 22, 2010 15:40:18 EDT

Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each
month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the
Veterans Affairs Department.

Seven percent of the attempts are successful, and 11 percent of those who
don’t succeed on the first attempt try again within nine months.

The numbers, which come at a time when VA is strengthening its suicide
prevention programs, show about 18 veteran suicides a day, about five by
veterans who are receiving VA care.

Access to care appears to be a key factor, officials said, noting that
once a veteran is inside the VA care program, screening programs are in
place to identify those with problems, and special efforts are made to
track those considered at high risk, such as monitoring whether they are
keeping appointments.

A key part of the new data shows the suicide rate is lower for veterans
aged 18 to 29 who are using VA health care services than those who are
not. That leads VA officials to believe that about 250 lives have been
saved each year as a result of VA treatment.

VA’s suicide hotline has been receiving about 10,000 calls a month from
current and former service members. The number is 1-800-273-8255. Service
members and veterans should push 1 for veterans’ services.

Dr. Janet Kemp, VA’s national suicide prevention coordinator, credits the
hotline with rescuing 7,000 veterans who were in the act of suicide — in
addition to referrals, counseling and other help.

Suicide attempts by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans remains a key area of
concern. In fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30, there were 1,621 suicide
attempts by men and 247 by women who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, with
94 men and four women dying.

In general, VA officials said, women attempt suicide more often, but men
are more likely to succeed in the attempt, mainly because women use less
lethal and less violent means while men are more likely to use firearms.

Suicide attempts among veterans appear to follow those trends, officials
said.

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If this posting gives you reason to stop and thing , , , even for a minute
. . . at least it accomplished something.

Pro patria.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the
tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."

-- Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.