About Veteran Suicide
For generations, the rate of suicide among military veterans was roughly half that of the general population. Unfortunately, this trend has shifted in the last two decades where suicide rates among military veterans have eclipsed the rates seen in the general population. Suicide rates among service members, which have reached a 30-year high, have become a significant public health crisis that must be addressed.
According to a report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs based on data from 21 states, young male veterans ages 18-34, are dying by suicide at about twice the rate of their nonveteran peers. Female veterans appear to be more than three times more likely to commit suicide than their civilian counterparts. The elevated suicide rate among service members reflects some of the particular stresses of being in the military, especially when deployed away from family members, including spouses and children as well as friends. Without the social support and connection to family (a protective factor against suicide in the general population) military veterans lack one of the most critical social supports that serve as a protective factor.
In these last 20 years, military members have engaged in multiple combat tours interrupted by short periods at home with their families, followed quickly by a rigorous season of field training in reconstituted units, preparing for the next combat tour. Relationships are often negatively impacted by these events.
One of the leading new theories of suicide is called the interpersonal theory developed by Florida State University psychology professor Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., a nationally known expert on the causes and prevention of suicide. Joiner’s theory holds that two conditions are necessary for suicide: desire and capability. Desire stems from two factors: a sense of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Capability requires having life experiences that somehow enable one to lose the natural fear of pain and death.
The military experience certainly provides the conditions central to this theory and the 22 Saves Hockey Foundation seeks to directly address one of the key factors of thwarted belongingness. The mission and programmatic activity of the Foundation is also aligned with the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and specifically addresses one of the four critical components of creating supportive environments that promote healthy and empowered individuals, families, and communities.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention suggests that suicide prevention efforts address the needs of vulnerable groups and be tailored to the cultural and situational contexts in which they are offered.
The Foundation seeks not only to complement community education, outreach and prevention efforts specifically serving the veteran population, but for those military families needing to pick up the pieces after a suicide, it also seeks to provide timely support in the immediate aftermath of such a catastrophic event.
About Veteran Suicide
For generations, the rate of suicide among military veterans was roughly half that of the general population. Unfortunately, this trend has shifted in the last two decades where suicide rates among military veterans have eclipsed the rates seen in the general population. Suicide rates among service members, which have reached a 30-year high, have become a significant public health crisis that must be addressed.
According to a report released by the Department of Veterans Affairs based on data from 21 states, young male veterans ages 18-34, are dying by suicide at about twice the rate of their nonveteran peers. Female veterans appear to be more than three times more likely to commit suicide than their civilian counterparts. The elevated suicide rate among service members reflects some of the particular stresses of being in the military, especially when deployed away from family members, including spouses and children as well as friends. Without the social support and connection to family (a protective factor against suicide in the general population) military veterans lack one of the most critical social supports that serve as a protective factor.
In these last 20 years, military members have engaged in multiple combat tours interrupted by short periods at home with their families, followed quickly by a rigorous season of field training in reconstituted units, preparing for the next combat tour. Relationships are often negatively impacted by these events.
One of the leading new theories of suicide is called the interpersonal theory developed by Florida State University psychology professor Thomas Joiner, Ph.D., a nationally known expert on the causes and prevention of suicide. Joiner’s theory holds that two conditions are necessary for suicide: desire and capability. Desire stems from two factors: a sense of burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Capability requires having life experiences that somehow enable one to lose the natural fear of pain and death.
The military experience certainly provides the conditions central to this theory and the 22 Saves Hockey Foundation seeks to directly address one of the key factors of thwarted belongingness. The mission and programmatic activity of the Foundation is also aligned with the 2012 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and specifically addresses one of the four critical components of creating supportive environments that promote healthy and empowered individuals, families, and communities.
The U.S. Surgeon General’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention suggests that suicide prevention efforts address the needs of vulnerable groups and be tailored to the cultural and situational contexts in which they are offered.
The Foundation seeks not only to complement community education, outreach and prevention efforts specifically serving the veteran population, but for those military families needing to pick up the pieces after a suicide, it also seeks to provide timely support in the immediate aftermath of such a catastrophic event.