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Kristin Sundvall

Mrs. Lester

Advanced Composition

11 October 2011

Veteran Suicide

It has been estimated that twenty percent of veterans suffer from psychological health

complications. Each year, approximately 1600 veterans commit suicide as a result of untreated

mental disorders (Bossarte et al). The military has had complications with veteran suicide since it

was established. This issue has had a huge impact on military life and the lives of those who

have lost beloved soldiers to suicide. Military researchers and psychologists have tried and failed

to reduce the rate at which veterans take their own lives. Without a doubt, veteran suicide is one

of the most significant problems in the military.

     Veteran suicide is best defined as a current or former soldier ending her own life for any

number of reasons that can vary widely. One reason veteran suicide has such a high rate is

untreated mental illnesses. Studies show that one in five veterans has some form of a mental

disease. These psychological conditions include depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder,

schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders (United States. Cong.). Sadly, only half of all veterans with

mental illnesses seek professional help. According to Rand researcher Terri Tanielian, unless

troops receive proper care, there will be long-term consequences for them and the nation

(Finding Dulcinea Staff). Another reason there is such a high rate of veteran suicide is that

veterans have very different experiences from civilians. Some experiences that are unique to

veterans include battle guilt and fatigue, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Traumatic Brain

Injuries. Veterans are the only ones who truly know the first-hand horrors or war, and these

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horrors can be extremely traumatic. One of the main unique factors that contributes to veteran

suicide is access to lethal means. Unlike civilians, soldiers are constantly around weapons and

chemicals that can be used to commit suicide (United States. Cong.). Another reason the rate of

veteran suicide is so high is because of weak social support structures (United States.

Department of Veterans Affairs). When soldiers are at war, they only have each other. Their

friends and family are not there to support them and guide them through their struggles. They

have to keep each other sound and look out for themselves without community support. When

they can not get help from loved ones, they may feel that suicide is the only way out. In

conclusion, veteran suicide is definitely a huge problem in the military. There are many factors

that can cause veteran suicide, and it has a huge impact on military life and the country.

    Veteran suicide has a huge impact on America and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

First, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has to fund studies regarding suicide prevention

strategies. This funding drains the VA’s money. The Department does not have the money to

create more facilities to prevent veteran suicide. The VA’s response to suicidal veterans is slow

and its facilities are inadequate to treat veterans who need mental help. As a result, it is currently

being sued, taking away more of its funds (“More Excuses and Delays”). Another effect this

issue has on America is an attempt to change military culture. Military culture makes it hard for

soldiers to come forward with their mental health problems and seek help. The Secretary of

Defense, Robert Gates, has made it very clear that military culture needs to change. The military

has had the same static culture since it was established. Changing it would have to happen over

an extended period of time, and ultimately may not happen at all (Katz). Yet another effect

veteran suicide has had on the country is that it drains money from states. For example, the state

of Montana has implemented its own suicide prevention strategy in attempt to reduce the rate of

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suicide in veterans. Each Montana National Guard member who returns home from combat is

required to go through a mental health screening. The screenings are intended to detect mental

health problems and to direct veterans to the best treatment facilities. The state of Montana has to

pay for these screenings and the specialists who conduct them. If other states decide to follow

Montana’s example, they will surely run into the same financial issues (Katz). Undoubtedly, the

high rate of veteran suicide has had a huge effect on the country. Luckily, there are programs and

strategies in place to solve this issue.

     Military researchers and psychologists have worked hard to develop strategies for

suicide prevention. One effective strategy is restricting access to lethal means such as certain

drugs like acetaminophen and, especially, firearms. A study was conducted in Washington, D.C.,

to determine whether or not firearm restrictions had any effect on the suicide rate. A new law

prohibited the possession of unregistered firearms and the possession of firearms by minors. The

firearms limit resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of suicide. The military has become

familiar with this study and has taken its own action to limit access to firearms by military

personnel. A soldier can not access firearms unless they are issued to her. Also, unissued

firearms are kept under close surveillance (United States. Department of Veterans Affairs). A

second strategy that has decreased veteran suicide rates is the veteran suicide hotline. The suicide

hotline consists of trained professional counselors who specialize in suicide prevention. Over one

third of the counselors are veterans themselves. The suicide hotline receives about 250 calls

every day from troubled veterans. It has reportedly terminated 1,200 suicides in progress every

year since it was established (Katz). Yet another veteran suicide prevention strategy that has

worked is inpatient residential therapy. A study of 3,733 veterans was conducted to determine

whether or not inpatient therapy worked better than outpatient therapy. The study showed that

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patients who received residential therapy had a lower chance of re-attempting suicide than those

who participated only in outpatient programs. When a patient is in a residential treatment center,

she is closely monitored and has access to psychological help at all times. All lethal means are

removed from the facility and she is given a strong support group (United States. Department of

Veterans Affairs). All in all, there are some wonderful suicide prevention programs available to

veterans that have saved many troubled troops. However, not all suicide prevention strategies

have been successful.

    Although the Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented substantial prevention

programs, there are some programs that have failed. One strategy that failed was a 2008 attempt

to decrease the rate of suicide using advertisements on the buses and subways in Washington,

D.C. depicting actor Gary Sinise encouraging veterans to seek help for mental health disorders.

This method failed. Over half of veterans simply do not want to come forward with their mental

disorders (Katz). A second method that has failed is outpatient therapy. According to a study

from the Department of Veterans Affairs, outpatient care had little effect on the rate of veteran

suicide. The study also showed that outpatient therapy participants had a higher change of

attempting suicide a second time after their counseling program ended. When a soldier’s therapy

is limited to an outpatient program, she does not get to spend adequate time with therapists. She

will not be monitored as closely as she would in inpatient therapy (United States. Department of

Veterans Affairs). Yet another suicide prevention strategy that has failed is stress debriefings.

After combat or traumatic situations, soldiers receive stress debriefings in an attempt to eliminate

the threat of mental disorders. They are briefed on what to do if they think they might have some

kind of mental health defect and how to mentally prepare for future combat. This method is

ineffective because once a traumatic event has occurred, a simple debriefing is not enough to

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treat it. The soldier must receive professional psychiatric help before partaking in suicidal

behavior. Essentially, the traumatic events soldiers go through are stronger than the debriefings

they receive after combat (Katz). In conclusion, there are several suicide prevention programs

that are ineffective for soldiers, creating a grim outlook for this issue.

    The future of veteran suicide rates looks bleak. One reason the future of this issue is so

grim is that the Department of Veterans Affairs does not provide adequate care for veterans. The

VA is currently undergoing a lawsuit by two non-profit organizations, Veterans United for Truth

and Veterans for Common Sense. These two groups accused the VA of “unchecked

incompetence and unconscionable delays in caring for veterans with mental health problems”

(“More Excuses and Delays”). The Department of Veterans Affairs does not adequately provide

suicide prevention officers of respond to suicidal veterans quickly enough to prevent suicide. The

court has agreed that systematic changes need to be made to the VA regarding its facilities and

the speed at which it responds (“More Excuses and Delays”). Another reason this issue has a

grim outlook is that the VA has not yet found an effective way to encourage more soldiers to

seek help for mental health disorders. Studies show that about twenty percent of American

veterans have mental health problems. However, only half of them have sought treatment (Katz).

Military culture can make it embarrassing for a soldier to get help. Soldiers are held to a high

standard and are expected to be paramount at everything they do. Showing emotion and

admitting mental health problems is contrary to what is expected of them (Finding Dulcinea

Staff). One more reason this issue’s future looks bleak is because there is still much to learn

about veteran suicide. Although the identification and care of veterans at risk for suicide remains

of utmost importance, there are only limited means of identifying emerging risk populations and

the changes in those populations. More studies need to be conducted to determine the best way to

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treat suicidal veterans. Also, the VA needs better means of identifying risk factors for suicide

and getting veterans the help they need (Bossarte et al). To conclude, there are many factors that

make the outlook for this issue very grim, and America will keep losing its beloved protectors

until the Department of Veterans Affairs can produce a solution that will significantly decrease

the rate of veteran suicide.

    Overall, a career in the military is definitely not the best choice. There is a considerably

high rate of psychiatric disorders and suicide in the military. There are few actions veterans can

take to prevent a mental illness. Military experiences are extremely different from those in the

civilian world. Military personnel go through traumatic and stressful events every day. Trauma,

injuries, and guilt lead to psychiatric disorders in at least twenty percent of America’s veterans.

The treatment provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs is inadequate to help a veteran

who is mentally suffering. The VA does not respond quickly enough to the cries of suffering

veterans, so it is often too late to help them before they take their own lives. The grim outlook of

this issue is enough to discourage a person from choosing a career in the military. There is little

hope now that the rate of veteran suicide will ever decrease. Until the Department of Veterans

Affairs can find a way to decrease the rate of veteran suicide, military careers will continue to be

risky and uncertain choices.

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Works Cited

Bossarte, Robert, Cynthia Claassen, and Kerry Knox. “Evaluating Evidence of Risk for Suicide

Among Veterans.” Military Medicine 175.10 (2010): 703-704. Academic Search

Complete. Web. 12 Sept. 2011.

<http://proxygsu-sche.galileo.usg.edu/?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/.aspx?

direct=true&db=a9h&AN=54353616&site=ehost-live>.

Finding Dulcinea Staff. “New Data Shows Alarming Rates of Military Mental Health Problems.”

Editorial. Finding Dulcinea. Dulcinea Media, Inc., 18 Apr. 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2011.

<http://www.findingdulcinea.com///April-08/Data-Shows-Alarming-Rates-of-Military-

Mental-Health-Problems.html>.

Katz, Josh. “Suicide Hotline Hearing from Thousands of Troubled Vets.” Editorial. Finding

Dulcinea. Dulcinea Media, Inc., 28 July 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2011.

<http://www.findingdulcinea.com////Hotline-Hearing-from-Thousands-of-Troubled-

Vets.html>.

- - -. “VA Looks to Ads to Help Suicidal Veterans.” Editorial. Finding Dulciena. Dulcinea

Media, Inc., 18 July 2008. Web. 11 Sept. 2011. <http://www.findingdulcinea.com//

Americas//Looks-to-Ads-to-Help-Suicidal-Veterans.html>.

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“More Excuses and Delays From the V.A.: It is battling a court order to fix its mental health

system.” The New York Times 22 Aug. 2011: A18. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context.

Web. 7 Sept. 2011. <http://ic.galegroup.com//// NewsDetailsWindow?

displayGroupName=News&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windo

wstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE

%7CA264898497&mode=view&userGroupName=cant48040&jsid=f529d9b18b2eed7f3

659cd9713cba020>.

United States. Cong. House and Senate. Suicide Prevention Among Veterans. By Ramya

Sundararaman, Sidath Panangala, and Sarah Lister. N.p.: n.p., 2008. Federation of

American Scientists. Web. 12 Sept. 2011. <http://www.fas.org////.pdf>.

- - -. Department of Veterans Affairs. Strategies for Suicide Prevention in Veterans. By Paul

Shekelle, Steven Bagley, and Brett Munjas. Los Angeles: n.p., 2009. HSR&D. Web. 11

Sept. 2011. <http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov///Prevention-2009.pdf>.