Join the battle against veteran suicide
As we near the close of September, Suicide Prevention Month, our nation must not lose sight that veteran suicide persists at a rate 1.5 times that of the general U.S. population.
It is the second-leading cause of death for post-9/11 veterans, with an average of 17 veterans dying by suicide every day. Like so many of the pressures on those who serve, it also has a cascading effect on their loved ones.
Over the past two decades, our military has carried out sustained operations abroad, bearing a heavy burden for the nation. In this same time frame, more than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide. America cannot be a nation that claims to stand by its veterans if we allow the toll of suicide to outpace a generation of war.
Historically, the government and veteran service organizations have largely faced this challenge alone, but we are working to change that. This summer, USAA, the Humana Foundation and Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation, launched Face the Fight, a coalition of corporations, foundations and nonprofits working to prevent veteran suicide.
Government agencies must continue to play a lead role in this crisis, but they need the private and philanthropic sectors to meaningfully respond, too. In addition to joining Face the Fight, institutions can take other actions to reduce the stigma around asking for help by promoting existing resources, including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and offering mental health support to veterans and military families, as well as underserved communities. We can also do more to ensure equitable access to financial security resources, housing stability and legal counsel.
America can end veteran suicide. We now have data directing us toward strategies that could significantly reduce the veteran suicide rate. Researchers have found that veterans are particularly vulnerable to suicide at certain periods of their lives, such as when they transition out
of the military, so we know when and where to focus our attention.
We also know veteran suicide is not simply correlated to exposure to combat, but to more common problems that can be supported, including financial stress, unemployment and relationship troubles.
Additionally, studies show that firearms are the most commonly used method in veteran suicide. That’s why voluntary safe and secure storage of firearms is a critical evidence-informed focus area of Face the
Fight. Safe storage allows veterans to maintain their personal firearms while putting time and distance between a suicidal thought and a suicide attempt.
Our organizations have invested an initial $40 million to a grant-making fund, enabling projects that increase access to evidence-based interventions for suicide in clinical settings. In the first six months, grantees trained 200 mental health clinicians, screened more than 7,000 individuals for suicide risk and delivered suicide-specific interventions to more than 1,600 veterans.
More than 50 organizations have joined us to contribute toward actions, commitments and collaboration that will dramatically lower the suicide rate. Together, we are building on our foundational work from the past year, which brought together leading experts in suicide prevention, including those from UT Health San Antonio, to develop an effective approach. We have also built data-collection tools that will bring stronger evidence and greater accountability to the solutions we deliver.
Our veterans selflessly answered the call to serve their country. Now it’s our turn to serve them. We are calling on our nation’s corporations, foundations and citizens to join us at wefacethefight.org so we can urgently expand the response, resources and expertise needed to save our veterans from suicide.
Wayne Peacock is president and CEO of USAA; Maj. Gen. Alfred K. Flowers Sr., is chairman of Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation; and Bruce Broussard is president and CEO of Humana. They represent the founding partners of Face the Fight, a veteran suicide prevention initiative.