Dec. 19 (UPI) — Military veteran suicides are down slightly but remain persistently steady, according to a report released by the Veterans Administration on Thursday.
Nearly 18 veterans died by suicide every day in 2022, the latest data available. The number remained steady from the previous year but dropped slightly from a high of about 18.5 in 2018.
There are “encouraging” signs of progress among women and younger veterans, according to the VA’s 2024 annual suicide prevention report. It’s the most comprehensive national report on veteran suicide, analyzing suicide by veterans from 2001-2022.
In 2022, 6,407 veterans died by suicide, compared with 6,404 in 2021, a rate of roughly 34.7 per 100,000.
“[There are] notable changes within the data in terms of increase or decreases in veteran suicide prevention that provide aspects of hope regarding progress,” said Matthew Miller, executive director for the VA’s Suicide Prevention Office.
The 34.7 per 100,000 suicide rate among U.S. veterans was more than twice as high as the non-veteran population of 17.1 per 100,000.
The deaths included 6,136 male veterans — a 1.4% increase from the previous year — and 271 female veterans, a decline of 24% from 2021. The suicide rate among homeless veterans, which has been notoriously high and receives extensive media and government attention, dropped 19.1% in the latest data.
Veterans in the 18- to 34-year-old demographic saw a 4% reduction.
The number of veterans who died in the same year that they left active duty dropped overall from a rate of 51 per 100,000 in 2021 to 46.2 per 100,000 in 2022, but was up sharply among Marines over other branches of service.
Marines had a death rate of 67.9 per 100,000 “person years” — a data point that incorporates the number of members and their time in service for the year.
The death rates for the other branches with members who recently left the service were 47 per 100,000 for the Navy, 38.8 per 100,000 for the Army, and 38.1 for the Air Force, which includes Space Force data, according to reporting by Military.com.
“This information raises concern about the unique challenges faced by Marine Corps veterans and highlights the necessity for specialized support systems tailored to their specific needs,” Miller said.
The VA has spent more than $17 billion on veteran suicide prevention programs, up from $13 billion in 2022, according to the Congressional Research Service.
If you or someone you know is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
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