America's military veterans make up about 6% of the adult population but account for about 20% of all suicides. That means that each day, about 18 veterans will die by suicide.
Each of these losses affects not only the individual but also their families, friends and co-workers. Thus, working to prevent suicide and its underlying causes is important not only to protect our loved ones but also to foster happier, safer communities.
Military veterans range from 18 years of age to more than 100, include both men and women, and represent diverse races and ethnicities. As of 2018, the largest veteran cohort were those who served during the Vietnam War, followed by those who served during peacetime only, the Gulf War and post-9/11 conflicts.
Mounting evidence shows that veterans need targeted suicide prevention services, and our data backs this up. From 2015 to 2022, the age-adjusted suicide rates among male veterans in Arizona outpaced those of nonveterans by a factor of 1.49 to 1.88. Put another way, while veterans in Arizona made up only 8.4% of the population in 2022, they represented 20.3% of the state's suicides, meaning veterans were 2.5 times more likely to die by suicide.
While these numbers stem from Arizona, they also reflect the national trends showing greater and growing rates of suicide among veterans.
One reason veterans are at greater risk is that, compared to nonveterans, a greater proportion of veterans are white, male and older - demographic categories with elevated rates of suicide in the general population.
Other explanations relate to veteran-specific factors. Some argue that military training and combat exposure can reduce a person's fear of pain or death, putting suicidal veterans at greater risk of completing suicide. Military training also familiarizes a person with the use of firearms, a particularly lethal means of suicide.
In 1999, then-Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher highlighted suicide as a serious public health crisis, paving the way for tackling the monumental issue on a national scale.
Now, 25 years later, the U.S. government continues to emphasize the increasingly dire situation. Most recently, the Biden administration released a 2024 national strategy aimed at establishing strategic directions for improving mental health treatment and reducing suicide.
Historically, health care facilities operated by the Veterans Health Administration have been a central resource for veterans experiencing mental or physical problems. Encounters between veterans and the Veterans Health Administration offer opportunities to screen for suicide risk and offer resources for those in need.
Crisis lines also are a potentially effective means of prevention.
Education and policy provide another means of suicide prevention. As firearms are a particularly lethal means of suicide, a great deal of research funding has gone toward understanding their role in suicide. Studies generally find that reducing access to guns is associated with reduced suicide rates.
If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of crisis, the free and confidential 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available to call, text or chat.
If you are a veteran and would like to speak with responders trained to understand your unique circumstances, call 988 and then press 1.