The National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows that there were 6,407 suicides among veterans in 2022, lower than 12 of 14 previous years but three more than in 2021.
“Our top clinical priority is preventing veteran suicide,” wrote Dr. Matthew Miller, executive director, VA Suicide Prevention. “We use evidence-based research and suicide analytics as the foundation for our programs and initiatives. Our richest data related to veteran suicide comes from our annual report.”
The report, released by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday, is the most comprehensive national report on veteran suicide and analyzes veteran suicide from 2001-2022, the most recent years for which data is available.
According to the report, among adults in the United States in 2022, there were, on average, 131 suicides per day, with 17 veteran suicides per day. Among non-veterans, there were 41,484 suicides in 2022, 1,476 higher than in 2021.
On average, seven suicides per day were among veterans who received VA care in 2021 and 10 were among other veterans.
“Every veteran suicide is a tragedy,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement. “There is nothing more important to VA than ending veteran suicide – and that means providing veterans with the care they need, wherever they need it, whenever they need it. We will learn from this report to better serve veterans and save lives.”
Additional key report findings include decreases in suicide rates for:
Women veterans: From 2021 to 2022, age-adjusted suicide rates for female veterans decreased by 24.1 percent, while for female non-veteran U.S. adults, suicide rates increased by 5.2 percent. For male veterans, age-adjusted suicide rates increased by 1.6 percent, while for male non-veteran U.S. adults, rates increased by 1.8 percent.
Homeless veterans: Veterans with a documented history of homelessness in their VA medical records saw a 19.1 percent reduction in suicide from 2021 to 2022.
Transitioning service members: For those who separated from the military in 2021, the suicide rate over the next 12 months was 46.2 per 100,000. This was lower than for those who separated in 2020 and down from a high of 51.0 per 100,000 for those who separated in 2019.
Younger Veterans: The suicide rate for veterans aged 18-34 decreased by 3.8 percent from 2021 to 2022.
The report includes several pathways to prevent suicide, including secure firearm storage, building and sustaining community collaborations and expanding crisis intervention services.
“Suicide is preventable and everyone has a role to play in saving lives,” Miller noted.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Dial 988 then Press 1, text 838255 or online here.