On September 17, 2022, a new Joint Study was released by the America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP), Duke University and the University of Alabama that indicated the number of veterans’ suicides could be forty-four (44) suicides per day.
Previously, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had stated that the veterans’ suicide rate was twenty-two (22) per day and recently stated the rate was reduced to seventeen (17) per day. The Joint Study’s suicide rate was more than doubled that of the VA’s cited rate.
The main conclusion of the Joint Study was that states had undercounted veteran suicides that were not included in figures released by federal officials.
The Joint Study reviewed death statistics from 2014 to 2018 from eight (8) states. The states were Alabama, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Oregon. The Joint Study determined that states were the only ones that provided reliable data.
After a review of the data from the eight (8) states, the Study’s researchers determined that the undercounting of veteran suicides stemmed from human error and other factors that caused many deaths to be miscategorized.
This undercounting of veteran suicides was categorized as “Self-Injury Mortality” by the researchers. The VA typically categorizes deaths caused by self-injury as accidental or undetermined, but the Joint Study contends that such cases involve deliberate actions that prove fatal, and in many cases deliberately.
The Joint Study defined “Self-Injury Morality” as death cases of drug overdose, drowning, asphyxiation, accidental gunshot, suicide by law enforcement, high speed, single-driver accident.
By the Study’s estimate, the largest classification (approximately 60%) were drug overdose deaths. Many of the drug deaths were classified as accidents or unknown intents, even though indications, according to the researchers, were that the deaths should be grouped alongside suicides.
The researchers from the two (2) universities found that in many cases, a deceased person’s military history was incorrectly reported, by either coroners or family members, possibly resulting in undercounted statistics.
The Joint Study determined if the statistics from the eight (8) researched states represented the national suicide rate during the four (4) year period, it would increase the veterans’ suicide rate from 17 veterans to 44 veterans per day.
The Joint Study found that former troops with less than three years of service are at greatest risk of suicide. Veterans who were demoted during their military career take their own lives at a 56% higher rate than veterans. Each year of additional military service reduces the probability of suicide by approximately about two (2%) percent.
The veterans’ suicide rates were about the same across gender and racial categories. However, veterans who live with a partner, such as a spouse, are nearly 40% less likely to kill themselves.
My Opinion: I have always believed that the veteran’s suicide rate was twenty-two (22) per day and recently reduced to seventeen (17) veterans per day. These were the statistics released by the VA.
However, the new Joint Study projects that the veteran’s suicide rate per day might be double what the VA stated. The VA is not to blame in this case, because the undercounting of veterans’ suicides is due to data collection at the local and state levels.
Another Study, released by Brown University in 2021, indicated that four (4) times as many veterans have died by suicide than in combat since September of 2001.
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I do not know if we had similar problems with veterans’ suicide immediately after World War I, World War II, the Korean War or Vietnam. To my knowledge, the focus on veterans’ suicides was not a significant issue nor was it well documented.
What is hard to comprehend is we have been underestimating the number of veteran deaths due to undercounting the “Self-Injury Morality” as stated in the Joint Study.
However, If only fifty (50) percent of the Joint Study’s analysis/conclusion (concerning the undercounting of veterans’ suicide deaths) is correct, then the projection of thirty-three (33) veterans dying every day by their own hands is valid.
I believe that veterans’ death by suicide is preventable. There are organizations, such as the America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) and the Save A Warrior (SAW) Programs, working to make a difference in solving this national tragedy.
The National Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a major supporter of the Save a Warrior (SAW) Program, along with the Departments of Ohio’s American Legion (AmL) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
We are trying to make a difference, with the ultimate goal of preventing veterans’ suicides. We must not fail!
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a retired 32-year Army veteran, who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the current Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio Hospital Chairman and Adjutant of Chapter #63 (Clermont County). He can be reached at: [email protected]