By: Leo Shane III ?
#Veterans #suicides rose in 2017 despite concerted efforts in recent years from federal officials and lawmakers to address #mentalhealth and emergency intervention services within the military community.
#VeteransAffairs officials noted in a new analysis released Friday that because of a data delay, their report does not take into effect any new initiatives put in place over the last 22 months. They also emphasized in the report that #suicide prevention has become a major public health problem throughout the country, not just in the veterans community.
“#Veterans do not live, work, and serve in isolation from the community, the nation, or the world,” the report states. “The issue of #suicide in the U.S. also affects the veteran population.”
The new plan to prevent veteran suicides: new grants, better research, more community focus
#JamesDonaldsononMentalHealth –
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
The president will sign a new executive order on Tuesday creating a task force with a deadline of one year for aggressive new solutions to the problem.
But the increase in the number of #veterans who die by #suicide represents another setback for advocates who have worked in recent years to address the problem through public awareness campaigns, easier access to psychological treatment and aggressive messaging against the #stigma of seeking #mentalhealth care.
More than 6,100 veterans died by #suicide in 2017, about 17 individuals per day. That’s up about 2 percent from 2016 and about 6 percent over the previous 12 years.
The shift is even more pronounced considering that the total number of #veterans in America is decreasing each year, as older generations of former military personnel age. The total number of #veterans in America dropped almost 2 percent from 2016 to 2017 (about 370,000 veterans) and was down almost 18 percent from 2005 to 2017.
Department officials in recent years have quoted the rate of #veterans #suicides across the country as “20 per day,” reflecting past figures which included active-duty military, guardsmen and reservists who served on active-duty, and National Guard and reserve members who were never federally activated.Sign up for the Retirement Report
Officials said they changed this year’s report to focus solely on #veterans to avoid confusion about the population they monitor and directly assist. If the other military and never-activated reservist numbers were included, it would have pushed the #suicide rate for the total veteran-connected group to about 21 individuals per day.
Nearly 87 Americans die by #suicide each day, according to federal statistics.
Women with prior military service are more than twice as likely to die by #suicide as their civilian peers, according to the report. #Male #veterans are 1.3 times as likely to die by #suicide as #men who never served.
Almost two-thirds of the #suicide deaths among #veterans in 2017 were individuals who had no contact with the #VeteransHealthAdministration. VA officials in recent years have focused on public outreach efforts to address that problem, noting limited opportunities to share information on support services with #veterans who they don’t interact with regularly.
The new plan to prevent #veteran #suicides: new grants, better research, more community focus
The president will sign a new executive order on Tuesday creating a task force with a deadline of one year for aggressive new solutions to the problem.
In a letter accompanying the report, Dr. Richard Stone — executive in charge of the #VeteransHealthAdministration — said that #suicide “is a national public health problem that disproportionately affects those who served our nation.” He called upon community partners to work with the department on “actionable, manageable steps” to address the problem.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump announced the formation of a new task force lead by VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to focus on the issue of veteran and military #suicideprevention. Among the issues that group of federal officials is considering is how to more quickly compile national #suicide data, to provide quicker analysis of how prevention programs are performing.
The task force is expected to issue a formal report early next spring.
The full #suicide report is available on the VA web site.
#Veterans experiencing a #mentalhealth emergency can contact the #VeteranCrisisLine at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. #Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.
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
[email protected]
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 [email protected] 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
