Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi upon receiving the Secretary of the Armenian Supreme National Security Council: We stress the necessity of resolving the issues between Azerbaijan and Armenia through dialogue
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi upon receiving the Secretary of the Armenian Supreme National Security Council: We oppose foreign presence and interference in the Caucasus region
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to the Armed Forces: Egyptians took to the streets after 1967 to demand that President Gamal Abdel Nasser stay in office, and this was the first step toward victory
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi: The death of President Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1970 dealt a major blow to the Egyptian people
Turkish Ministry of Defense: 22 targets were destroyed in air strikes in northern Iraq today
US President Joe Biden says he's worried that Republican infighting could hurt Ukraine aid
President Joe Biden urges end to "poisonous atmosphere" in US politics
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Turkish forces hit the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq with airstrikes under the pretext of targeting PKK sites
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Gaza: Al-Quds Brigades will unveil new drones and rockets
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Sanaa: Yemen Airways announces that on Friday it will resume its flights to and from Sanaa International Airport

Veterans suicide rate may be double federal estimates: Study

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 20 Sep 2022 15:48
  • x

According to a new analysis, the suicide rate among veterans may be more than double what federal officials estimate annually.

  • James Kohr places an American flag at a veteran's grave at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa, Texas, on May 28.Jacob Ford / Odessa American via AP file.
    James Kohr places an American flag at a veteran's grave at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa, Texas, on May 28. (AP)

The suicide rate among veterans may be more than double what federal officials estimate annually due to undercounting of drug overdose deaths and mistakes in service record maintenance, according to a new analysis released on Saturday.

In a joint investigation with the University of Alabama and Duke University, America's Warrior Partnership officials looked into census mortality data from 2014 to 2018 for eight states and discovered thousands of suspected or confirmed suicide instances that weren't taken into account by federal calculations.

There are around 17 veterans who commit themselves every day. If those figures hold true for the other states, the official estimate would rise to 44 veterans per day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs' official estimate from last year.

Read next: US Troops Suicide Rate Spiked in 2020

The aim of the report, according to Jim Lorraine, president of AWP and a former Air Force officer who now works in the medical field, is not to criticize state and federal officials for their failings but rather to highlight instances where death records are inaccurate or overlooked in an effort to find more solutions to the suicide problem.

“These are all preventable deaths,” he said. “The number is less important than the methodology of tracking them and making sure we have an accurate count … that can lead us to prevention steps.”

Suicide rates among #US troops rose by 15% in 2020, according to a #Pentagon report that the Defense Secretary described as “troubling". pic.twitter.com/OCBfozm465

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) October 6, 2021

Related News

Ex-CIA officer says US division on political issues reaches peak

Amid shortages, US to provide Kiev with seized Iranian weapons: Report

Drug overdoses account for the majority of uncounted deaths (about 60% of the instances), according to the report. Lorraine noted that despite evidence suggesting the fatalities should be categorized as suicides, many drug deaths in the places his study looked at were classified as accidents or deaths of unclear cause.

“Whether it’s an accident or a suicide doesn’t really matter. The point is these are preventable,” he said. “So that means we can address them.”

The military background of deceased people was frequently misreported by coroners or family members, according to research. Most frequently, these errors result in an undercount of veteran fatalities.

The group is advocating for greater federal tools to access Defense Department records in an effort to verify a person's veteran status in order to address that problem.

Read next: US to send psychiatrists to combat Alaska military suicides: Army

State and municipal governments will need to step up their public health initiatives to address the overdose deaths, Lorraine added.

“We can build prevention strategies with the data that is currently available,” he said. “It just needs to be merged and analyzed and then used."

“In one state, overdoses may be a higher concern than firearms. In another, it might be firearms first. They need to look at the right mechanism for the problems they are facing.”

  • United States
  • US veteran
  • Suicide
  • US Troops

Most Read

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

BBC from the front lines in Ukraine: It's bad, counteroffensive failed

  • Europe
  • 28 Sep 2023
A Ukrainian soldier of the elite drone unit packs up after an attack on the front line in the outskirts of Kremennaya, Ukraine, Sunday, August 20, 2023 (AP)

Ukraine loses around 700 soldiers in one day: Russia MoD

  • Europe
  • 30 Sep 2023
Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

Who Would Ally with the West: ‘It’s Boring – The Real Excitement is in Asia’

  • Analysis
  • 30 Sep 2023
A child being treated in a makeshift ICU bed in California in 2023 (AFP via Getty Images)

Children are dying in US hospitals plagued with ill-prepared ERs: WSJ

  • US & Canada
  • 2 Oct 2023

Coverage

All
Morocco & Libya Disasters

Read Next

All
Over 60% of Americans believe 3rd political party needed
US & Canada

Over 60% of Americans believe 3rd political party needed

Slovakia's Fico ready to risk European expulsion for Ukraine stance.
Europe

Slovakia's Fico risks European expulsion for Ukraine stance

Iran to continue to abide by Nuclear deal terms is sanctions lifted
MENA

Iran to continue abiding by JCPOA terms if sanctions lifted: AEOI

Amphibians fall victim to climate change as they are brought closer to extinction.
Environment

Amphibians fall victim to climate change: Study

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS