Veteran Suicides (Almost One Every Hour)

Recent figures from the Department of Veterans Affairs indicate that roughly 22 veterans commit suicide every day. That's close to one every single hour. Worse yet, these numbers are most likely underestimates of the actual figures. What's leading to this high suicide rate? For starters many veterans return from their service with psychological issues related to being exposed to the atrocities of war, including PTSD, severe depression, and crippling anxiety. Unfortunately, the majority of these individuals receive little or no treatment for their mental health needs. Additionally, veterans often struggle to integrate themselves back into society after returning from war. Unemployment rates are consistently higher for veterans compared to non-veterans. They are often provided a hero's welcome, but not a hero's stay. Taken together, these circumstances put veterans at a much higher risk of committing suicide. The issue of veterans' mental health and suicide should not be ignored. These consequences must be calculated into the cost of war. The casualties of war are not just the lives lost on the battlefield, but also the lives that are compromised and lost due to being on the battlefield. What is desperately needed for our veterans are better resources in terms of psychological services and also resources to facilitate their successful integration back into society. And, hopefully, soon those in power will come to realize the actual consequences of sending our youth into the battlefield.