This week, VA released its National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, providing a comprehensive analysis of Veteran suicides through the year 2021. The report shows that 6,392 Veterans lost their lives to suicide in 2021—an increase of 114 over 2020—emphasizing the urgent need for continued efforts in suicide prevention. Simultaneously, non-Veteran suicides also increased, reaching 40,020 deaths, an increase of 2,000 from 2020. These figures underscore the magnitude of the challenge and the pressing need for effective prevention, intervention and postvention strategies.
The year covered by this report, 2021, was the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to greater financial strain, housing instability, anxiety and depression levels, and barriers to health care—all of which are associated with increased risk of suicide for Veterans and non-Veterans alike. There was also an increase in firearm availability in 2021, which is proven to increase both the risk of suicide and the risk of dying during a suicide attempt.
Amid the challenges of 2021, there were some anchors of hope. The number of annual Veteran suicides has decreased from 6,718 in 2018, and suicide rates fell for Veteran men aged 75 and older. However, this report makes clear that there is still much work to be done.
Ending Veteran suicide is VA’s top clinical priority and a top priority of the Biden-Harris administration, and we’re continuing to work urgently to end Veteran suicide through a public health approach that combines both community-based and clinically based strategies to save lives.
Here are some of the critical steps that VA has taken since 2021 to prevent Veteran suicides and save lives:
Offering no-cost suicide prevention care
Since Jan. 17, 2023, Veterans in acute suicidal crisis have been able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost—including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Thus far, this expansion of care has helped prevent Veteran suicide by providing no cost care to more than 33,000 Veterans in times of crisis.
Launching the shortened Veterans Crisis Line number
Since the launch of “Dial 988 then Press 1” as the shortened Veterans Crisis Line number in July 2022, the crisis line has fielded more than 1.3 million contacts. This includes over 1,098,000 calls, an increase of 12.9% from the same timeframe from the previous year, with an average speed to answer of 9.5 seconds. There was also a year-over-year increase in text messages (40.6%) and online chats received (10.5%). This increase in contacts is evidence that the hotline is working—Veterans in crisis are getting the help they need at the moment they need it.
Recent studies also show that Veteran callers to the crisis line were over five times more likely to have less distress at the end of a call than at the beginning, almost five times more likely to have less suicidal ideation at the end of the call than at the beginning, and 11 times more likely to have less suicidal urgency at end of call than beginning. Also, among Veterans who had suicidal thoughts who called VCL, 82.6% reported that using the VCL played a role in stopping them from acting on those thoughts.
Investing in prevention
Recognizing the severity of the issue, VA has allocated $105 million in Veteran suicide prevention grants since 2021 through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. These funds support various initiatives through 80 community-based organizations that provide or coordinate the provision of suicide prevention services for eligible Veterans and their families.
Public awareness and resource campaigns
VA has launched a multifaceted approach to reach Veterans at risk, including public service announcements (PSAs) that have reached over 7.9 million Veterans and driven more than 3.5 million visitors to our support website, VA.gov/Reach. These campaigns serve as a crucial tool in raising awareness about the resources available and encouraging Veterans to seek help when needed.
Governor’s Challenge and community engagement
The “Governor’s Challenge to Prevent Suicide among Service Members, Veterans and their Families” now includes all 50 states and five territories, which is a testament to the collaborative work being done to prevent Veteran suicides. In a coordinated effort to implement the National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, each state and territory has developed a strategic action plan focused on suicide prevention. VA has also partnered with more than 1,700 community-based coalitions to engage Veterans in crisis at the grassroots level, leveraging local resources and support networks to address the diverse needs of Veterans.
Firearm safety and lethal means prevention
The report highlights a troubling statistic: 72% of Veteran suicides involved firearms in 2021. Recognizing the correlation between firearm accessibility and suicide rates, VA has initiated efforts to promote secure storage of firearms—including distributing more than 400,000 gun locks; providing lethal means safety training to 2,300 community health care providers; and conducting lethal means safety outreach to Veterans, garnering more than 137 million views and 6.8 million website visits.
We have more to do
Suicide is a complex public health issue, and there is no single cause and no single solution. To end Veteran suicide, we need to understand all facets of the problem, and that is what this annual report is all about. It serves as a comprehensive overview of the current state of Veteran suicides, the initiatives in place to address the crisis, the progress made in certain demographics and the work still to be done. As we continue to confront this critical issue, the findings from this report will provide valuable insights that can guide future strategies and interventions to save lives and support those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
As Secretary McDonough has said, “There is nothing more important to VA than preventing Veteran suicide—nothing. One Veteran suicide will always be one too many, and we at VA will use every tool at our disposal to prevent these tragedies and save Veterans’ lives.”
Topics in this story
More Stories
“Patient Safety values and practices are used to prevent harm and learn from our mistakes. They drive what we do and how we do it.”
Pacific Islands VA opens new Akaka clinic in Kapolei, bringing a variety of VA services to Oahu’s leeward side
Veterans can now navigate VA resources with confidence using the new VA Resource Navigator
Stop unconstitutional attachments on
Veterans Disability Compensation
Title 38 sec5301 is not enforced in
State Courts…Veterans are being stripped of their Compensation
I have a LIST OF SUICIDAL VETERANS!!
Who have lost their COMPENSATION to illegal attachments ORDERED BY STATE COURT FAMILY JUDGES!!!
Will we Soldiers have to form our own Coalition to defend our benefits that was promised from the US government??
A Veteran’s personal appearance or in some cases, the lack there of, can also play a very important role in the increase risk of suicide for Veterans. For example, a Veteran who is already suffering from PTSD and who is also suffering from tooth loss, etc. who feels they can’t even “Smile” because they are in need of critical dental care like so many of our nations Veterans need but which is not currently provided to the majority of them through the VA under the current laws of this country. Many of our Veteran’s isolate themselves away from others for many reasons including the lack of dental care and their inability to “Smile” with confidence and interact socially with others. Over the past nine years, we have heard many horror stories of Veterans pulling their own infected, rotten or broken teeth out themselves with pliers, etc. because they do not have access to get the dental care they so desperately need or the financial resources to pay for the critical dental care many of them need. Again, because the VA does not have to provide dental care/treatment for the majority of our nation’s Veteran’s because of the current laws in this country. Sadly enough, some Veteran’s have even verbally expressed their suicidal thoughts which included their inability to even “Smile” or eat properly has contributed to their mental anguish and anxiety as well. This is why Veteran’s legislation like as H.R. 2413 – Dental Care for Veterans Act is so important! By passing this legislation to grant our nations Veteran’s access to FREE dental care / treatment through the VA, that would positively improve all of our nation’s Veteran’s mental & physical health and their overall well-being. We would have healthier Veteran’s and therefore improving their quality of life after their Service and reduce the suicide rate for Veterans. Like all of the previous proposed legislation surrounding Veteran’s Dental Care Act which did not pass, the VA also opposes the passing of H.R. 2413 too, sighting the VA simply can’t afford it…………….we say, the VA can’t afford not to! By giving our nation’s Veteran’s access to FREE dental care / treatment through the VA, that would result in healthier Veteran’s both physically & mentally which would also save the VA more money on the medical side of their funding. They All Served, They All Deserve including their SMILES too!
I am a veteran Gulf War era. I struggle with suicidal ideation, complex PTSD, chronic depression and anxiety. I am rated 100%. It wasn’t an easy journey. I have gone to 10 VAs over time and 1 thing I can advise is that if you Really want help, you need to communicate with your provider your concerns And do what they tell you to do and give feedback. Meds are useful and individual or group therapy must be an addition. If you aren’t doing and participating 100% in your therapy you can’t complain about the VA. They want to help us. They really do. I just did 7 years of DBT therapy and I’m still in counseling because I don’t like falling backwards. Please don’t keep complaining and do what they tell you.
I can’t help but worry after reading about the increase in Veteran suicides. These are people who’ve served our nation, and it’s disheartening to see them facing such struggles. We need to do more to ensure they have the support and care they deserve.
As so many things grow worse, I am ever more desperate to get help NOW! I would never give an affirmative answer but I am tired of preventative needs being ignored !
Severe brain-fog, TBI PCS and PTSD makes simplest chores—-and now last chance to see son overseas— so difficult , IT IS SCARY. Constantly denied VA help, save useless drugs and lip-service, I badly need organizational and coping skills NOW ! I CANNOT CONTINUE TO WASTE THE LITTLE TIME REMAINING !!
I found that my mental health provider, a psychiatrist, falsified things in medical record, such as responses I allegedly gave–but was, in actualizado, NEVER was even Asked, at my most recent appointment at the beginning of November. His excuse was that my social worker therapist had also been doing the same thing, up until she retired 6 months ago. She had reported to this Doctor. I had no idea, until I stumbled on this by accident. The answers noted for me denied the facts, including from when I originally sought treatment for depression and suicidal issues from another VA, from 6 years ago.
I find it hard to trust the VA now. I feel like a fool, and have no regard whatsoever in trying to get treatment because I feel betrayed and deceived. To add insult to injury, I am the one who has to correct the record, and do it by myself, not only because there’s no ombudsman or advocate that I can find, but I’m not trusting that there’s any good faith effort to hope for. It’s been on my mind for almost 3 weeks now, and I don’t know what to do, but not sure how I can get over this.
You lost me, VA.
VA home counselors are needed
Start with vets in system that are on mental health drugs. Confirm they are attending doctor visits and group sessions. Vets need home visit from other vets.
PTSD is a complex issue. Also head injuries are a major contributing factor to behavioral and mental health issues. Another major issue on mental health is mental impressions of images of terrible violence in real life, and also on new and social media. I was a medic and these last couple of years I have had to deal with seeing injured and dying people including loved ones. I still have those images, they have faded but that is a major contributing factor. I recommend meditation and binaural ambient music to meditate to it helps me go to sleep and stay sleeping.
I also think you need to really think about what you put in your mind and body. If you put violence into your mind and body then you will feel the effects of that including all these terrible video games etc. We need to think about what we are doing to ourselves and the next generation. Live in reality and TALK to people in real life and live a peaceful life.
thay are tied of the pain in their heart and our minds
My Clayton NY Vet Support group now part of VA-facilitated North Country Veteran and Service Member Suicide Prevention Coalition. Our Community Engagement & Partnerships Coordinator Kaitlynn doing great job. She got me & 13 others in 6 states on NewsNation program on veteran suicide prevention, Zoom-interviewed by Emmy-winning reporter & Army vet Nick Smith. I mentioned how almost all counselors have great tools in their toolbelts worth sharing to cross-train each other. When human lives are at stake, we need help all our teams “to be all we can be.” I offered for free, access to my Summer 2019 COMBAT STRESS Magazine lead article on reducing vet suicide, & my YouTube video “To Veterans with Invisible Wounds” previously in PSYCHIATRIC TIMES, the leading psychiatric journal. Kaitlynn’s opposite number for Milwaukee emailed me for these works, and
Kaitlynn’s encouraged me to keep sharing. They are yours for the asking, my editor agrees.
As a mother who lost her son to suicide due to ptsd while in the Navy in May 2022, the government still has a lot to do. My son went to dr told him he wasnt sleeping and had anxiety and they gave him an appt for 2 months out. Why in heck did they not get him seen right away? When men come to you that is generally the last resort. My son went in to Fairfax county mental health that morning and they turned him away because he didnt have an appointment nor did they look to see he had a future appointment. Then went to work and his new command wrote him up for being late. Not asking him hey is this something that you normally do or is something going on? That evening my son took his life. That year in Virginia 27 other sailors took their life. We need to do better for our military persons. 9 times out of 10 the vets dont want to say anything because they dont want to get kicked out and they love the military and job. Or afraid of being made fun of or harassment. Lets fix this because it may just be where they need something for a little bit to fix this and not a lifetime issue.
I am a veteran myself and lost a veteran, my life partner to suicide. The system is broken, but I honestly do not know all that needs to be done to fix it. The wait times to get in to see someone are insane, for trauma related, ptsd care it took months. And to go to my primary it takes months. In my opinion they need to onboard more mental health specialists and reduce wait times. Experiencing trauma myself and having to wait and wait, when everything is so much to bare, is not okay. Something should be done & now. And allow veterans to seek medical help regardless of field they are in without repercussions such as pilots. Because just because the need an antidepressant or therapy, should not take away their dreams and livelihood! They served this country, we call them hero’s but then this country doesn’t care for them as they should for their “service” that destroyed their mental health.
As a Gulf War combat veteran ( Operation Desert) after 12 years of honorable service I was face with loss of long-term employment, I needed help from the VA for the first time in life. Needless to say, I got a bunch of medicine for anxiety, depression and insomnia but no one to talk to ( personal One on one therapy). So I treated myself. I started feeding corn to squirrels in my front yard and started a vegetable garden, found new employment and got better. Most veterans just need help getting through a rough time. What we need is “Someone” who actually cares about them as a human being not a bunch of pills and useless phone numbers.
-Veterans Affairs, needs to be open 24 hours 7 days a week
– Veterans Affairs needs to change their name to Veterans Crisis Center
And,
A public service Announcement needs to accompany every enlisting commercial, ” 44 service members commit suicide daily”
Zero proactiveness. Y’all just waiting money. Do welfare checks. Y’all have never run a business, listened to a veteran or obtained a an MBA. My unit was 138 combing back from Iraq. The VA you all killed 8. That’s just my unit. We had a marine my age, sexy and 39 with kids, a cop, kill himself. Because you a suck. It takes 100 days idiots. To get medical treatment. If you are Mexican if you are white. No wait time. Medical treatment = mental treatment here. Y’all embarrassing.
We like to encourage people to check out Operation Deep Dive (trigger warning, it’s another study into veteran self inflicted mortality/suicide that for ourself painfully makes too much sense). Actually, this whole thing should be consider a trigger warning.
The issue, our two cents, is the stigma, prejudice and marginalization y’all be perpetrating. We don’t want to take out our frustrations on the front line workers, but we’re waaaaaay too well trained in counter insurgency and engaging with dissociated command structures not to notice the ways they’re prevented from rendering compassionate care. The fake toxic positivity has, for this one at least, done nothing but create a hostile environment of deflection, denial, and stonewalling that could likely be clasified as medical malpractice. It’s also likely the main source of staff turnover caused by fatigue, we can relate to frustration at not being able to do your job well because your boss hates it when you resolve problems they refuse to acknowledge or lack the ability to do themself.
To continue, the records keeping is atrocious. We’ve tried on a couple occasions to seek care from a clinic we’ve been to before only to hear there’s no record of us ever being there. We’re directly calling out the claim that many of these suicides are people who never sought out care. There’s an interesting article written by the military law task force in California about psychiatric practices in the military and as someone who had to be medicated on an SSRI to deploy a second time we’re here to say it’s accurate. It was awesome the way we were convinced/allowed to quit said meds in Iraq to reenlist too. Pretty sure the pro social-learning psychoative drug and constant sleep deprivation amongst other extream operating conditions played no role in both that bad decision and the establishment of our first Alter (sarcasm). No, the data about loss of empathy on SSRIs is liberal hippie lies (more sarcasm).
And while we’re lambasting, let’s talk about those assessments. Having taken four ourself, and every one thrown out as ‘inconclusive’ or a cry for help, absolutely dismissed, and none of the themes ever brought up were explored. Of course, when it’s useful as something to attatch the malingerer word to it comes out quick.
Sorry those of us with extreme mental health struggles don’t look like parade pretty propaganda pieces. Sorry that the DSM-5 refuses to recognize cPTSD, which would really open up a lot of treatment perspectives and recognize ‘kind’ behavior as a trauma response not a sign of personal virtue. And it is because I’ve convinced the others how our behavior hurts others we are truly sorry to those front line workers who we’re sure hear a lot of soul crushing stuff. They’re victims in this too.
Seriously, at this point it seems intelectually disingenuous how hard they skirt the real problem; kids idiotically sign up to serve their country and especially if you are not a strong, white male they’re exposed to an extremely toxic, emotionally abusive environment. Not all commands are created equal, some of the games played with our brothers’ lives were downright suspect. All in the name of war and profits that don’t really serve the individual citizens and just draws hostility from the rest of the world…. (Gesutures broadly to current events). Don’t even act like America didn’t lose the global war or terror, started without an act of congress. From our perspective, ‘normal’ people are the delusional ones saying they respect those sacrifices but leap to the next war. Those were our brothers and sisters then, it’s our nation’s children next
We get it, there is real evil in the world, chased some ourself, and America needs a strong military to engage some of those threats. Seeing a slew of commanders getting the boot over the last year gives us hope they’re finally taking note of environments that create incidents, such as the tragic events in then Ft. Hood involving disappearing soldiers. Y’all could really do a lot to help facilitate getting those kinds of stories told if you really wanted to and help develop trauma informed therapies to heal those who stomached more than they should have for the mission. We’d ask, “Why don’t you,” but we’re informed enough about human behavior to understand cowardice and profit oriented policies. Thank you for your service. Cool lies.
OK I don’t usually say anything about my trauma, but I’m 100 percent permanent and total SC , and I was told I’m only allowed 12’weeks that’s it for therapy wow for the life I gave away to follow in my family’s foot steps and serve in the military and make my grandfather who spent 30 years at a VA hospital paralyzed and my grandmother who worked a low paying job at the canteen at the hospital proud and After my trauma my dream of having a career in the military was taken stolen from me for doing the right thing for agreeing to take the stand against another soldier for Stabbing him . I failed him 45;years later I still blame myself as I couldn’t help him not get stabbed but nobody seen me sticking my fingers ripping my clothes trying to plug the holes from his stab rooms . I was threatened , I was almost sodomized , then was assaulted again and told if I testified ….sorry not saying anymore . I was basically made to feel if I said anything I would be an embarrassment to my family and my grandparents … So now for 45 years Iater after taking the witness stand , I feel worse because MST for a male was not even thought of the military let me believe it was something I would be less then and now the VA says 12 weeks of therapy that’s it , it’s like they shunned me again .
I’ve tried taking my life Twice , I was told in 1979 when I got out hell we don’t have a disability to cover that but seriously you don’t want to that you’ll be wasting your time so we will just say you didn’t have a certified copy of your dd214 just get on with your life now there’s real soldiers we have to help ..
That’s not right 12 weeks wow
PLEASE start offering weekly one on one therapy! I have been begging for years for help but the VA’s MH is so streamlined for specific treatments it doesn’t offer one on one therapy sessions. We all have baggage, I have a 15 piece touring set and desperately need to sit down with someone who can help me unpack and sort that baggage. All I need is about 6 or 8 one hour sessions to do this but the VA doesn’t offer it. Nor will they let me use Community Care to seek help locally because “we have too many other options like DBT, CBT, MST,… that you have to go through first”.
I understand why the veteran suicide rate is so high when we are left to suffer without the help we need. It can be very hard to ask for help but it is even more difficult to ask and be told “we don’t offer that”. It makes one feel worthless, helpless, and hopeless. I have no intention of committing suicide with that said, I understand wholeheartedly why vets get so overwhelmed and do. I’ve barely hung in there while screaming for help to no avail.
Please, please start offering weekly one on one therapy. It WILL help prevent suicides.
Same issue for me.
Same here I just needed someone to talk to during a rough patch of life.
I agree. I think if my son had a means to talk with someone he wouldnt have done it. I appreciate all your words and stand beside you.
Cold War veteran of the Air Force, 4 years. Retired homicide detective from Dade County Fla.
Residing in Walton County Fla.
Desiring to be trained to help military and police regarding suicide prevention.