US Veteran Suicide Rate Rising

  Recent research shows that the suicide rate among US veterans has increased significantly. Ministry of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs research shows that the suicide rate among veterans who served after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in the 14 years before the Corona epidemic increased by more than 10 percent. Veterans with brain injuries have long been reported to be more likely to commit suicide than other former military personnel. But the researchers found that the rate increased at the same rate each year in both groups.

Among 2,516,189 patients treated by the Military Health Service and the Veterans Health Administration from 2006 to 2020, the suicide rate ranged from 7.11 to 90.81 deaths per 100,000 veterans with brain injuries following the 9/11 attacks. Suicide rates across American adults increased by an average of 1.2 percent per year during the same year. Jeffrey Howard, one of the researchers revealed that common suicide risks include drug or alcohol abuse, stress disorders, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and loss of social support after military service. The US Secretary of Health said in a statement that 9 out of 10 Americans believe America is facing a mental health crisis.(PH)