Current Services And Programs For Suicide Prevention Program

Second, friends and family need to get their loved ones to a hospital and talking to someone who can professionally help them. Finally, the Veterans Affairs office must educate friends, family, employers, and institutions like colleges and community organizations, as to how best to recognize the signs and symptoms of suicide and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) so that they can get them help sooner rather than later. It is time to stop veteran suicides and to get people to understand that they are the first stepping stone to getting their loved ones the assistance they need. Friends, family, institutions and organizations must appreciate that they are capable of stopping their loved ones from committing suicide on account of the traumas inflicted upon them by military

Since 2009, suicide rates among those on active-duty status have stabilized at approximately 18 per 100 000. It is important to know the factors driving this increase for many reasons. The most important thing we can get from this is a better to way to both prevent and treat victims faced with thoughts of suicide.

“We must eliminate the perceived stigma, shame and dishonor of asking for help,” said Adm. Patrick Walsh, vice chief of naval operations. “This is not simply an issue isolated to the medical community to recognize and resolve...” Such efforts should include keeping an eye on those closest to the suicide victim, said Brian Altman, acting chief operating officer for Suicide Prevention Action Network USA, a Washington-based public policy and advocacy group. (Air Force Times).

There are an alarming number of veterans who suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. The suicide rate on returning veterans is on the rise. In California, service members were killing themselves and family members at an alarming rate. After an investigation, it was apparent that they do not have enough properly trained individuals to over see

As a consequence of the stresses of war and inadequate job training, when they get out of the service many have fallen behind their contemporaries. If they are fortunate enough to become employed, many of them are unable to hold a job due to untreated PTSD and acquired addictions without services and counseling designed for them. These factors may place our returning veterans at a higher risk of suicide. In 2007, the US Army reported that there were 115 suicides among OIF/OEF veterans. This was the highest number of suicides reported since the Army started keeping track about 30 years ago. In general, the risk for suicide among these veterans was not higher than that found in the U.S. population (Tull). However, there are several programs and 24 hour suicide hotlines available for those that may contemplate committing suicide as an option.

There is a common belief that many combat veterans are suffering; many from invisible wounds that affect them in many ways. The challenge that the VA and other government agencies face is determining which veterans need help, there are several factors that affect this, from the individual’s desire to accept help, to the stigma that most veterans have accepted, which is “if they ask for help, they are weak.” During separation from the military it is a critical time for all soldiers, this time provides an opportunity for the military, the VA and our government to intercede and work with men and women while they are still soldiers. Veteran suicide is an epidemic, the number of veterans taking their life daily has been steadily growing, the statistic published by the VA is that twenty-two veterans end their lives every day (Suicide Data Report, 2012); steps have been taken to curb this number but the efforts have been woefully inadequate.

This pilot program is required to be implemented in not less than five Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). The program includes community oriented veteran peer support networks that will provide peer-support training guidelines and the development of a network of veteran peer-support counselors that are trained and readily available to veterans. Also creation of community outreach team for each medical facility that will assist veterans transitioning into communities, establishment of an veteran transition advisory group to facilitate outreach activities, collaboration with community and government organization to help provide thorough services to veterans, and coordination with the VISNs to carry out an annual mental health summit to assess the veteran mental health programs an care and to develop new means to providing services (Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act, 2015). Evaluation of the community outreach pilot program is required 18 months after its initial inception and the final report is required 90 days before the dissolution. The pilot program is for a term of 3 years (Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act, 2015).

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, (2015) veterans comprise 22.2% of all suicides. The suicide data reports of 2012 estimated 22 veterans commit suicide everyday (Kemp & Bossate, 2012). Evidence-based studies show one of the major reasons behind the large number of veteran suicides may be related to undiagnosed mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Department of Veteran Affairs reports, “8 percent of the five million veterans using VA care have been diagnosed with PTSD” (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014). This gap in mental health treatment among veterans negatively affects our nation as a whole. It is our duty to implement policies that provide a better quality and quantity of mental health services for the soldiers that

Veteran suicide among our soldiers is a distressing and tragic reality. Per the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/Suicide-Data-Report-2012-final.pdf a staggering 22 veterans take their own lives each day. That's a suicide every 65 minutes. This is a heartbreaking truth that has not adequately received the attention it deserves from the civilian world. To add insult to injury http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-0202-veteran-suicide-20150402-story.html tells us that there are two key high-risk groups of soldiers who typically are ineligible for psychiatric care: those forced out of the military for misconduct and those who enlisted but were quickly discharged for other problems. In each of those groups, an average of 46 of every 100,000 former service members committed suicide each

In their study, Zivin et al. (2007) revealed that according to the Veterans Health Study, the prevalence of significant depressive symptoms among veterans is 31%. This is two to five times higher than that of the general US population. Of the 807,694 veterans included in their study, 1,683 (0.21%) committed suicide during the study period. Increased suicide risks were observed among male, younger, and non-Hispanic White patients. PTSD with comorbid depression was associated with lower suicide rates, and younger depressed veterans with PTSD had a higher suicide rate than did older depressed veterans with PTSD (Zivin et al.,

No military in the history of the world has been more widely deployed than the United States. The United States currently has troops stationed in 150 countries, and each year thousands of American citizens are sent abroad for active duty. However, the mental health of veterans are not taken into consideration when they return home. Many have been exposed to prolonged periods of combat-related stress or traumatic events that can lead to severe disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic brain injury (TBI)—which can plague veterans for the rest of their lives. Groups such as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America are advocating for change due to the high suicide rates of veterans who are not receiving adequate help for their conditions. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that 22 veterans commit suicide every day after a long struggle with the physical and mental tolls of war. However, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been insufficiently handling with the current numbers of veterans with mental health conditions— which is a key element of this issue. To deal with this problem, President Obama signed a bill this past March to allow greater access of mental health care for veterans. The bill is aimed at suicide prevention by simplifying the health care process, as well as by collaborating with nonprofit mental health organizations to effectively reach the public. Psychiatry students are also

On the night of March 20th, 2012, a twenty-three year old veteran named William Busbee, locked himself in his car and shot himself in the head. His mother and two little sisters were standing just a few feet away (Multiple Deployments). A veteran commits suicide every eighty minutes. If that number is not shocking to hear then I don’t know what is. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, is a major factor in this mass suicide of veterans. Suicide among veterans is turning into an epidemic. An epidemic that can be stopped with the help of experienced and educated psychologists. Those psychologists are working hard everyday with veterans who are suffering from PTSD in an attempt to cure and potentially rid the patient of this disorder. Maybe

Over the past few decades, there has been an increased concern about rising violence among war veterans specifically those with possible mental health problems and in a need of psychiatric treatment [40]. A newsletter published in 2014 stated that combat veterans are responsible for about 21% of domestic violence all over the U. S. and it is predominantly linked with PTSD. Further, it is also mentioned that 20% of U. S. suicide committers are war veterans. Therefore, the newsletter calls the problem of veteran suicide an “epidemic”

One great example is how the military has attacked a serious epidemic in the military today. Sui-cide prevention is at every leader’s doorstep. There are numerous programs the military adapted to combat suicides. One example is Ask, Care, Escort (ACE) , this programs is set for three hours, however it gives soldiers tools to help a soldier in need. Understanding what steps to take is significant in preventing suicides. The Army realized having the resources, knowledge and skill set to intervene in lowering suicides is the key to success. One example “Methods: Educa-tion, identification, and intervention programs were implemented at each phase of the deploy-ment cycle based on the specific unit activities and predicted stressors. Results: During the de-ployment, there was an annual suicide rate of 16/100,000 within the trial cohort, compared to a theater rate of 24/100,000. Peaks in suicidal ideation and behaviors occurred during months two, six, and twelve of deployment. Conclusions: A deployment cycle prevention program may de-crease rates of suicide in the combat environment. This program may serve as a model for other suicide prevention programs” (Warner,et al.,2011). With the training, the military provided a so-lution, asking a soldier directly how they are feeling when the see symptoms of suicide behavior. Army leaders called for the support and training resource for their soldiers due to a negative trend, commands at all levels to include the medical fields came together to form ACE. One of the key selection points on the training targets was a leader recommendation of eighteen to twen-ty five year olds. Leaders observed this was the target age, soldiers stay together in the same age groups, training that age group is key in combatting suicides. Military One Source is another program leaders asked for to support soldiers when they need to combat depression.

Congress has responded to the public outcry for action in the face of unacceptable suicide rates and has passed multiple pieces of legislation aimed at correcting the problem. The 2007 Joshua Omvig Bill directed the VA to develop “data systems to increase understanding of suicide among Veterans and inform both the VA and other suicide prevention programs” (Veterans Affairs, 2012, p. 7). In 2015, President Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act into Law, requiring the VA to “make it easier for veterans to find mental health resources, do more to recruit and retain professionals” and to increase “accountability for the government programs serving them” (Baker, 2015, para. 2). This recent legislation tends to be