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The Damning Statistics of Veteran Suicides in the U.S.

THE DAMNING STATISTICS OF VETERAN SUICIDES IN THE U.S. Some demographic groups seem more susceptible to suicide and suicide attempts than others. Among those groups are: Rural Populations, Native Populations, Youth between 15-24, Veterans and Active Members of the Military. SOME SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS 20-50% Talking about death or suicide. Behaving as if one has "a death wish.' of people who have committed suicide had attempted it previously. |Declaring feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. | Suddenly changing from sadness to calmness or apparent happiness. | Saying "goodbye." + Changing a will. I Depression is one of the primary causes of suicide. It's estimated that at least 1 in 3 adults worldwide will suffer from depression at some point in their lives. Over 90% of suicide deaths involve people who had clinical depression or some form of mental concerns, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or anxiety disorders. INSIDE THE TRAGIC STATISTICS OF SUICIDE 804.000 The WHO suicide (World Health Organization) estimated that deaths around the world there were some in 2012. This is down from 883K in 2000. In comparison, U.S. totals have risen since 1999. Recent U.S. suicide figures show increases in almost all categories. (Hopeline analysis of CDC WISQARS suicide data in the U.S. for 2010 – supplemented with a 2011 analysis.) 40K 5K 15 35K 4K 12 30K 2010 2011 25K ЗК 20K 15K 2K 10K 1K 5K 0 YOUTH 15-24 YRS 0 DEATHS PER 100K FEMALES 12.43 Hopeline's report also showed that each suicide death also affects about SIX other people. SMILLION That means, the 836,190 suicides in 2 the U.S. from 1986-2011 affected over 5 million people (about 1 in every 62). In the U.S., over 50% of suicides have been committed by firearm. 40K Total vs. Firearm Suicides 35K 30K Over Total Suicides = 436,110 25K 52 20K 15K Firearm Suicides = 228,172 10K 5K BY 1999 2011 Suicide attempts in the U.S. have also risen steadily since 1999. Suicide Attempts by Year 1M Every 43.2 seconds (1999) 800K Every 31.9 seconds (2011) 600K 400K 200K Suicide Attempt Frequency Is Also Rising 1999 2011 MILITARY SUICIDES - VETERANS/TROOPS While all suicides are tragic, veteran suicides are particularly troublesome. Men and women who serve the country see active duty and come back changed, suffering, or otherwise ill or injured. Some even have surprisingly long waits for health benefits, despite the service they have given. The sad truth is that veterans and active troop members appear to be at a much greater risk for suicide than almost any other group. And, when compared to the national average, their suicide rate per 100,000 is significantly higher. Shockingly, this group appears to be more likely to die by suicide than in combat. 36 HRS A 2012 New York Times article pointed out the stark contrast in the rates of combat vs. suicide deaths. On average, there was one combat death in Irag or Afghanistan every 36 hours. Yet, there was one veteran suicide every 80 minutes. This meant the 6,500 or so veteran suicides logged in any one year are more than the total body count that was tallied in both wars from 2001-2011. 80 MIN From 2005-12, military suicide rates rose; Army personnel were at particular risk. (The suicide rate among full-time soldiers, at its peak in 2012, reached nearly 30 deaths per 100,000 soldiers.) Active Duty Reserves Nat. Guard Air Force 200 50. 120, | Army 40- 100- 150 Marines 80 30 Navy 100- 60 20 United States 40- Dept. of Defense Suicide Outreach 50 10 20- program data from 2012. AIR FORCE ARMY MARINES NAVY AIR FORCE ARMY MARINES NAVY AIR NG ARMY NG 48 58 It's possible that as many as one in five U.S. veterans suffers from PTSD. Some who return from deployment suffer from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), tremors, sleeplessness, chronic pain or a number of other ailments. 1IN5 Sometimes brain injuries can go undiagnosed until it's too late. These injuries, combined with PTSD, can be a factor in veteran suicides. Active-duty soldiers go through numerous situations that can cause traumas, and are often redeployed instead of receiving much needed support. The benefit claims process seems to be failing our veterans. Veterans Affairs (VA) has a goal of 125 days for processing claims, but most claims have a wait time well beyond that. As of Sept. 2012, the average wait time was said to be 429.6 days with Average wait 780 of 57 VA regional offices days exceeding that! TheWaitWeCarry.org currently documents the 275,000 or so veterans who have an average benefit-claim wait time exceeding 336 days. Baltimore VA office We are all potentially susceptible to suicide, no matter what the underlying cause. If someone you know seems depressed, get them to talk about how they are feeling, encourage them to talk to a professional. If you are feeling depressed and feel suicidal, please call a crisis center, visit your place of worship or arrange to meet with a counselor. References BestCounseling Some information for this article comes from the following Web sites and pages. 1. http://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/united-states 2. http://www.hopeline.com/pdf/2010-data-by-state.pdf 3. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rae-abileah/military-suicide_b_1590472.html 4. http://www.meganmeierfoundation.org/statistics.html 5. http://backhome.news21.com/article/claims/ 6. http://backhome.news21.com/interactive/days-interactivel 7. http://www.suicideoutreach.org/Docs/Reports/DoD%20Quarterly%20Suicide% 20 Report%20CY2014%20Q1.pdf 8. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/opinion/sunday/kristof-a-veterans-death- the-nations-shame.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 9: http://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/04/25/suicide-rates-army-military- pentagon/8060059/ 10. http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-recognizing-signs-of-suicide Image Credits a. Tragedy & Comedy mask image: U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Kevin Milliken b. Other photos & backgrounds/Shutterstock Schools.org Research and infographic commissioned and published by BestCounselingSchools.org Infographic created by: Dubs&Dash Strategy Creativity Results www.d2-group.com 38,364 39,518 34,690 35,775 30,277 31,003 8,087 8,515 009' 4,822 12.68 729.975 SUICIDES 987,950 FIREARM 164 20 110

The Damning Statistics of Veteran Suicides in the U.S.

shared by bdubs on Dec 15
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A sad and sober topic that must have more attention and action. This piece details the alarming numbers related to suicide, particularly among those who serve in the military, fighting to preserve our...

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