Veteran Suicide Rates See Significant Decline As 2020, new Research Shows
following nearly two decades of increases, suicide rates among U.S. military veterans have decreased substantially as 2020, according to a new study published in JAMA network Open. The findings offer a hopeful sign after a period where veteran suicide rates-especially among those with traumatic brain injury (TBI)-exceeded those of the general population.
Researchers found a previous “Healthy Warrior Effect” offered a protective benefit to veterans, but this reversed as the War on Terror continued, with rates beginning to climb around 2006. by 2020, the U.S. adult suicide rate was approximately 20 deaths per 100,000 people, while the rate for post-9/11 veterans with TBI peaked at 100 deaths per 100,000, and 61 per 100,000 for those without TBI. More than 140,000 veterans have died by suicide as 2001, according to the Veterans Administration.
The study’s lead investigator,Mary jo Pugh,a professor of epidemiology at the University of Utah’s Spencer Fox Eccles School of medicine,attributes the recent decline to a “critical mass” of suicide prevention measures,including the Prevention 2.0 Initiative, the Suicide Prevention Now initiative, and the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans.
“Ther’s been a huge emphasis on safe gun use,like providing veterans locks for their guns which may have an impact,” Pugh said,noting that firearms are involved in the majority of veteran suicides. “They’ve got a variety of different approaches to help people… reduce impulsive behavior. One size never fits all for any kind of mental health condition or treatment.”
Pugh, a former Air Force nurse who was medically retired after sustaining polytrauma injuries including TBI, emphasized the complexity of the issue. The research was funded by the department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
