A viewer asked us to fact check a number he found staggering.
JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Author: Eliana Block
QUESTION:
Do 500 veterans on average die by #suicide every month?
ANSWER:
On average, yes. More than 6,000 veterans die by #suicide every year, about 500 every month.
SOURCES:
Dr. Matt Miller- Acting Director of the #SuicidePrevention Program for the office of #mentalhealth and #suicideprevention at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Joe Davis- Director of Communications and Public Affairs- Veterans of Foreign Wars
VA National Suicide Data Report 2005-2016
Department of Defense Suicide# Event Report- Calendar Year 2016 Annual Report
PROCESS:
Verify viewer Ibrahim Mumin asked us to Verify whether something he saw on TV was real. Viewer Question
“I recently saw on television a reporter talking about 500 soldiers that were committing #suicide a month,”Mumim said. “I wasn’t sure whether or not these were veterans, active duty military or both. I’d like to see if you can verify that to see if It’s that’s real.”
Our researchers contacted the #U.S.DepartmentofVeteransAffairs who confirmed that on average 20 veterans die by #suicide every day. That averages to almost 500 #veteran #suicides each month, and about 6,000 every year.
“Talking about 6,139 souls, it’s not just the number, each life is important, and even if the number was one it would be something that we would want to attend to and change,” Dr. Matt Mill, acting director of the VA’s #SuicidePreventionProgram, said.
Eliana Block
“We saw a significant increase in the highest levels around 2013 and 2014, we’ve been able to take some steps to modify that, however it has been above 6,000 since early, mid-2000s,” Miller said.
So we can Verify, as awful as it sounds, yes, an average of 500 U.S. #veterans a month take their own lives.
To answer the second part of Mumin’s question, when it comes to #suicide among active military members, the Department of Defense tracks that and it says in 2016, 275 active service members, 80 soldiers in reserves and 123 members of the National Guard died by #suicide. That equates to 40 active members taking their own lives, on average, every month.
While the sheer number may be alarming, the rate of veteran #suicides is declining, according to #Veteran’sAffairs. Moreover, suicide is not unique to #veterans, but an example of what’s playing out on a larger, national scale.
#Suicide ranked as the 10th leading cause of death for all ages in the U.S., according to the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention. Nearly 45,000 people ages 10 and older died from #suicide in 2016.
#TheDept.ofVeteransAffairs runs several programs to address this serious national health issue, including working on decreasing the wait time veterans face when trying to access #mentalhealthcare at VA medical centers, and building a robust Veterans Crisis Line.
In fiscal year 2018, the #VeteransCrisisLine received an average of 1,766 calls, 203 chats and 74 texts a day. They dispatched emergency services for callers in immediate danger an average of 80 times per day.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
If you or someone you know is having thoughts of #suicide, contact the #VeteransCrisisLine to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 8-3-8-2-5-5, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/chat
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
