Veterans' hotline averted more than 1,200 suicides in first year

Jul 29 2008

More than 22,000 veterans have called a veterans suicide hotline since its launch in July 2007, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, according to government data to be released on Monday, the AP/Baltimore Sun reports.

Richard McKeon, public health adviser for HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said the hotline, which is part of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, receives about 1,575 calls weekly and the callers are divided evenly between veterans from Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam.

The hotline connects veterans or people concerned about veterans with specially trained counselors, about one-third of whom are veterans themselves. Counselors are able to review veterans' medical records and refer them to local Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up, monitoring and care at local VA medical facilities.

The hotline was developed with SAMHSA after criticism that VA was not doing enough to help wounded service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Approximately 6,500 veterans commit suicide annually, according to VA. VA has spent $2.9 million on the hotline and recently received funding to double its suicide prevention staff, with plans to hire an additional 212 people.

Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for VA, said the hotline was developed specifically for veterans who do not receive enough help and are seriously considering suicide. She said, "They have indicated to us that they are in extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills." Kemp added, "We try to get them (callers) to talk about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like" (Euphrat, AP/Baltimore Sun, 7/28).

Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Hearing

Joseph Scotti, a psychology professor at West Virginia University, on Wednesday at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing testified that veterans who live in rural areas require more access to mental health care, the Charleston Daily Mail reports. Scotti recently conducted a study that involved 848 veterans in West Virginia -- 52% of whom lived in rural areas -- who applied for some form of services from the state VA.

According to the study, more than one-third of participants had mental illnesses. The study also found that 47% of participants had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression. However, only half of participants had contact with VA, and only 40% of those participants considered services provided by the department helpful, the study found (Stump, Charleston Daily Mail, 7/24).

During the hearing, the committee also examined a recent report that found VA did not send benefits packages to almost 37,000 National Guard and Reserve members who served in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. According the report, compiled by the VA Office of the Inspector General, the National Guard and Reserve members did not receive their benefits packages because of an error that designated them as ineligible (McClatchy/Charleston Gazette, 7/24).

The report is available online (.pdf).

Broadcast Coverage

American Public Media's "Marketplace" on Thursday reported on a new campaign launched by VA to inform veterans about available services. The segment includes comments from Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Lisette Mondello, a VA official (Lussenhop, "Marketplace," American Public Media, 7/24).