Veteran Suicide Rates Higher For Those Who Didn’t Go To War

In light of today's signing of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, here are some overlooked findings about veteran suicide

Today President Barack Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. The act will create a pilot program to help veterans transition into normal life following active duty, as well as a website to provide veterans with information about the mental health services available to them.

The momentum behind the act came largely from government and independent studies that revealed what many called an epidemic of suicide among the nation’s armed forces and veterans. Indeed, findings suggest that the annual number of veteran suicides has ticked upward over the last few years.

Average Number Of Veteran Suicides Per Day, Per Year

A closer look at the studies reveals interesting findings, many of which the media rarely cites. For example, non-deployed veterans, as in those who were never sent to an active war zone, commit suicide at slightly higher rates than veterans who actually saw battle.

Suicide Rates Since Time Of Discharge, Deployed Vs. Non-Deployed Veterans

It should also be noted that veteran suicide rates compared with the general population vary greatly with age. In fact, civilians 49 and younger commit suicide at far higher rates than veterans, though the reverse is true for those 50 and older. Also, the overwhelming majority of veterans who take their own lives are white.

Average Suicide Rates By Age In Veterans Vs. Civilians Between 1999 And 2010

The Clay Hunt bill is named for a Texas Marine who killed himself in 2011 following a battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Hunt served in Iraq and Afghanistan before ending his life at the age of 28. The bill, which was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators including John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), will also increase government oversight by requiring that the Veterans Affairs suicide prevention program be evaluated annually by an outside party.