When you think about rural living, you may picture quiet mornings, wide-open spaces, friendly neighbors and a slower pace of life.
But just because rural life seems peaceful doesn’t mean it has no challenges. People in rural communities, including Veterans, die by suicide at higher rates than people in cities.
Why? Rural areas tend to have higher suicide risk factors, like greater access to lethal means, higher economic distress, lower quality of health care and remoteness that can lead to feelings of isolation.
None of these things mean a suicide crisis will happen. But because nearly five million rural Veterans are at higher risk, VA is working to make access to care easier. And we’re raising awareness about lethal means safety to make sure rural Veterans know how to create secure home environments.
Breaking down barriers to care
Veterans live in rural communities for many reasons, including more privacy, lower cost of living, and less crowded towns and schools. One thing they may lack, though, is easy access to high-quality health care.
VA’s Telehealth Services ensure you can find care when and where you need it. Here’s how it works:
- If you’re at home: Use your phone or computer to meet with VA providers and share your health information, like blood pressure or glucose levels.
- If you’re at a VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic: Connect to VA specialists in mental health, cardiology, neurology, pulmonology and more.
- If you’re in a VA medical center: Telehealth brings specialists into your room via video. Services like Tele-ICU and TeleStroke make sure you get expert care, even in emergencies.
If VA can’t offer the service you need in a timely manner, you might be eligible for VA Community Care, where you can see a provider in your local area. Just talk to your VA care team to see what’s possible.
Creating a safe home environment can reduce suicide risk
A lot of people think if someone is in a suicide crisis, they’ll find a way no matter what. But that’s not usually the case.
Most people don’t switch to another method if the one they planned to use isn’t available. For example, if someone is thinking about using a firearm but it’s securely stored in a locked safe with the ammunition stored separately, they’re not likely to try something else. Even if they do choose another method, it’s probably going to be less lethal than a firearm and this increases their chance of surviving.
One of the most effective ways to reduce suicide risk is to put time and space between someone in crisis and a firearm. A suicide crisis is usually brief, so securely storing firearms can be an effective barrier between a suicide impulse and taking action. That’s why VA created the Keep It Secure program
The message of Keep It Secure is straightforward: Simple actions—like using a gun lock, storing firearms in a locked case or safe, and storing firearms and ammunition separately and locked—can help keep you, your loved ones and your community safer. You can request a gun lock from the suicide prevention coordinator at your local VA medical facility.
Reducing suicide risk for rural Veterans
Rural life offers a lot: connection to land, community and tranquility. With the right tools and support, like Telehealth Services, Community Care and Keep It Secure, it can also be a place where Veterans stay safe and well.
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I hear everyone in here. I am also a Combat Veteran. I moved to Texas from another state and miss the VA I was in and now the VA here in Texas Sucks the big one. Here in Texas, the Doctors are contracted from other countries and they are not certified like the American Doctors. The American Doctors don’t want to work in the VA because they get paid a lot more in the civilian world. So we get crappy doctors from overseas, so we have to self-diagnose ourselves. This sucks. I have been through 2 different so called doctors and I am going to ask for another one. Mine does not know what I say to her and she puts the wrong info in my chart from some other vet half the time. They want to medicate you and not treat the issues we have, I don’t want medications. I need my health issues solved. Or at least taken care of to a degree that I can somewhat handle life. We are not the same people we were before when we went to combat and people who don’t understand it think we can eventually deal with it. I have so many things wrong with me from being in Iraq and what happened to me and I am not getting the right treatment. I have 100% disability from things that happened in Iraq to me. Another thing I do not understand is, no offense towards our other vets but why are we, the combat veterans getting the same 100% disable pay as some vet that did not even go to combat like some of us who weren’t injured in combat? Shouldn’t we be getting more? Our suicide prevention sucks here too. They say, “we will help you” but when, you know what hits the fan and we are saying we are going to eliminate ourselves, they don’t do anything. My son saved my life. They wonder why so many are suicidal and actually many follow through. We need better help and it is not happening. There are no groups to go to out here and I am constantly trying to find them. I only look for those that understand us combat veterans because everyone else does not know who we are and what we know from experience. I do not like the mental health department that has no one with combat experience or any military experience at all. That drives me nuts even more. Texas is supposed to be military friendly; wow was I wrong. They say oh we are, once a year for vet day you can have a discount but most places do not give anything at all and some only for military that is still active. Most of you probably do not know about this…All of you that travel 30 miles and more, to go to the VA or other doctor appointments of any kind, do not forget to do travel pay reimbursement, and toll reimbursement, Round trip on all of it and if you eat a meal get that keep receipt also reimbursed on the myhealthevet website. I needed to get this off my chest and I have a lot more to say. Maybe my words will help some other combat vet. I just want to be around other combat vets who understand me. Hopefully I make a little sense to someone out there.
Im rated 100% for PTSD from combat service in the Army; And have been in various VA mental health programs ( in patient, out patient, CBT, EDRM, etc ), in multiple cities since 1997.
VA mental health care is a JOKE. They dont have NEAR enough. And the new philosophy of it being short ( meaning set time frames, ie 6 sessions ), goal oriented, and “quantifiable” is complete BS. Next to none of their Drs, therapists, and Social workers have any service experience, let alone combat experience. So they dont know what the fuck they are talking about, or have any clue what WE went through, so their credibility is LIMITED, at best.
Vet Support Center group therapy sessions are OK, in theory. But in reality, they get highjacked by the loudest political jack ass and it becomes a bitch session about someone’s “perceived” boogeyman “THEY” who are trying to ruin America somehow. The leaders never have the will, or the ability to bring it back to serious therapy / counseling. If I wanted that, I can go to a local bar, and listen to the drunk idiot in the corner.
Several of these VA “mental health experts” have said to me that PTSD just needs to be ignored, and I need to buck up. Seriously. And my current one believes service dogs are a crutch, useless, and refuses to write me the reference letter my application for getting one, needs.
Years ago, I decided to give up on the VA, and go to a private mental health provider, and pay for it out of my pocket. But since moving to a new city, I cant find ANY private practice that takes new patients, and the cost keeps going up, every year. $200 an hour… seriously?
And now with this current regime gutting the VA, it will only get worse.
As a young volunteer I didn’t have any thought about what VA health benefits could mean to me as the old man I am now. The VA has given me health care that I couldn’t have received by any other conceivable means, and I’m grateful. However, the access to care continues to be a challenge. The first time that I ever absolutely required rapid local care began with me receiving a VACC approval to begin with a visit to a third party urgent care office, the only one in my county with a VA relationship. At that location they were not competent to even verify their relationship with the VA and absolutely demanded my credit information before seeing me. That was only one of a chain of events that day leading to undue stress for the next year and a half. VA community care has wonderful people available at all hours, but this was only one example of myriad challenges I’ve faced as a rural veteran.
When you feel those demons coming I guess it’s good to give yourself a chance to think it through if it’s locked up.
I sometimes give my firearms to my buddy for awhile if im really fighting it.
My veteran husband is wanting to start with a group setting with other veterans please email times and places
Creating low impact sports and physical recreation activities that can be played inside and outside, individually and as a team, and can be competed remotely and in-person, would be one way to help those in rural areas be more connected. Having those in rural areas participate in creating those sports and physical recreation activities would also help them be more connected.
Can I get a dog to help with my PTSD through the VA?
Unfortunately this article is written by someone without a clue. Access to health care in rural areas is acceptable to those of us that live here. Veterans know guns and are likely gun owners- especially in rural communities. Locking your guns is a joke. They will use their own. Getting the veteran active in a community organization- any thing where they can see and help people in more need then them. Joining veterans groups- like vfw or helping other veterans who r wounded does help. If you are a psychiatrist or psychologist and have not served please don’t waste your time writing articles about subjects you don’t have any first hand knowledge about. A buddy and a beer is the best therapy a troubled veteran can get.
So I have become “Pria” to an Arizona Local dysfunctional or severely biased judicial in Yavapai County. Money and hired attorneys can bend and flex towards unacceptable “evictions” when the money appears to not be “honored “ as acceptable recourse and eight weeks inside a hospitalizations is neither acceptable. Community Legal services and Mr Coleman do not honor acceptable outcomes. Sincerest regards Mr Michael Alan Mc Henry
I live in a rural area and all the VFW does is serve booze to drunk veterans. Trying to connect with other people let alone veterans is non existent. There are no transportation services or places to make friends and most health services are non existent too. Veterans living in rual areas suffer from isolation and local community services are not held to any VA standards so they really don’t care either. A buddy and a beer only works if you have a buddy.
Combat veterans live in rural areas because we can’t deal with the modern freak show that live in cities and we don’t want to go to prison over some purple haired fuck show.
Did Trump and Collins get rid of these liberal swamp creatures that have slithered into every area of the VA yet? You know the ones that would rather focus on transgenderism than combat vets. A complete purge of the Anchorage Alaska behavioral health department would be a good start. If any person at the VA isn’t willing to do what it takes to help combat veterans they need to get the fuck out of the VA. I begged for help just to have some fucking assclown tell me they can only talk on the VA app that doesn’t work. ITS MY PII if I say zoom is okay this time to get things moving because I NEED HELP then zoom is okay. The fight didn’t stop just because there was a malfunction on your primary weapon you shift to your secondary and continue to fight. I had a nurse from Semper Fi using a secure app helping me but the VA clinician refused to use it. SHE NEEDS TO GO!!!! I’m not throwing in the towel yet because I know this POTUS is doing everything he can to get us the help we need I just have to give them enough time. I’m doing everything I can to hold on long enough to get the help we need and get back in the fight. HURRY THE FUCK UP!!!!!!!!
How can I become involved to help?
The horse can save many…& not just for only what you are working to reduce above. I started caring, riding, learning from 2 horses 4 years ago & approve them for general well-being. (But, maybe not for your wallet..they are a little expensive!) Bobby K, Macon GA