Inside veteran suicide

Just like every group and subset in the U.S. suicide also affects our veterans. The A-T reached out to the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky, Ottawa and Wyandot Counties. The board provided the November 2020 Ohio Veteran Suicide report and information from National Veteran Suicide Prevention. 2020 Suicide Report In 2019, the Ohio Legislature passed a bill to address veteran suicide in Ohio by supporting suicide prevention efforts for veteran and non-veteran Ohioans. This legislation provided $500,000 for suicide prevention programming to promote prevention efforts on veteran suicide to achieve significant improvement in reducing completed suicide and behavioral health outcomes. The November 2020 veteran suicide report was done in collaboration with the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Department of Veteran Services. According to the report, Ohio veterans are successfully completing suicide at higher rates than the general population. The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has multi-year evidence that suggests that over the past 10 years, Ohio Veterans are at increasing risk of completing suicide. "The rate of suicide among Veterans has increased 49% between 2010 to 2019 (30.0 vs. 44.7 deaths per 100,000), while adults aged 18+ increased 21% (15.8 vs. 19.1 deaths per 100,000)," the report reads. "In Ohio during this period, the rate of Veteran suicide was more than twice as high as the rate among adults aged 18+ (35.1 vs. 17.3 deaths, respectively, per 100,000 population). As evidenced by these statistics, Ohio has more to accomplish in achieving its goal of reducing suicides by 10% over the next three years. Access to lethal means remains a key feature of the suicide epidemic in Ohio. The most common lethal methods of suicide completion include firearms, suffocation, poisoning, and overdoses." KEY FACTS: Ohio continues to be impacted by a significant increase in suicides in the population From 2010-2019: 15,554 Ohioans died from suicide 2,717 Ohio Veterans died from suicide The rate of suicide for Veterans increased by 49% The rate of suicide for non-Veteran Ohioans increased by 21% Firearms were the method used in 72.5% of Veteran suicides Improving outcomes The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation created the Suicide Prevention Plan for Ohio to reduce the number of suicides every year. The following outlines that plan: All Ohioans will recognize the warning signs and risk factors of suicide and respond appropriately Ohio will concentrate efforts on integrating suicide prevention practices and suicide care, including postvention (support for those left behind following suicide events) into high-impact systems, including health care, public safety, and education Ohio will build suicide prevention capacity and infrastructure at the organizational, local, and state levels Ohio will concentrate prevention efforts on groups identified by data as those with a higher rate of suicide, including youth, ages 10-24; males, ages 25-59, Veterans and military members, and residents of highest-risk Appalachian counties Ohio will standardize, gather, and utilize data to continuously inform and evaluate its approach Key points of Ohio suicide from 2010-2019: 15,554 Ohioans completed suicide Veterans comprise 17% of all suicides in Ohio Veteran suicides are more than twice the rate of non-Veteran suicides Veterans ages 18-34 had the highest suicide rate The suicide rate for Veterans ages 18-34 has increased by 34% In 2019, the highest number of Veteran suicides was among Veterans aged 75 and older The highest number of Ohio Veteran suicides was Veterans ages 75 and older, with 762 deaths The rate of suicide for female Veterans in Ohio has increased by 22.6% compared to 13% for non-Veteran females The rate of suicide for male Veterans in Ohio has increased by 42% compared to 22.6% for non-Veteran males For both Veterans and non-Veterans, firearms are the most frequent mechanism used to complete suicide 64% of Ohio suicide decedents had a mental health diagnosis 51% of Ohio suicide decedents had a history of mental health treatment 40% of Ohio suicide decedents were in mental health treatment at the time of their death 17% of Ohio suicide decedents had a previous suicide attempt Evidence of an intimate partner problem was reported for 27% of suicide decedents 6% of suicide decedents were affected by a family member or friend's death Alcohol was the most common substance present at the time of death (31% of all deaths) 10 of the Ohio counties with the highest suicide rate (17.4 or greater) were designated Appalachian counties and five were designated rural counties "Providing education about the need for safe storage of firearms during times of emotional crisis as well as increasing outreach and support to aging Veterans (particularly those over 75 years old) are two key components in the Plan necessary to promote a reduction in Veteran suicide." Highest risk of suicide "There is a definitive link between suicide and existing mental health disorders," according to the report. "In Ohio, according to the Ohio Violent Death Reporting Systems (OH-VDRS), 64% of all suicide decedents had been diagnosed with a mental health problem (80% for females, and 60% for males). Of the suicide decedents, 51% had a history of mental health treatment and 40% were receiving mental health services at the time of their death." According to the report, suicide often occurs during a time of crisis with failure to deal with stressors in life like relationship problems, chronic illness, grief and loss and financial difficulties. "Suicide rates are also high amongst specific populations, such as refugees and immigrants, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex persons, prisoners, and veterans." Further, a predictor of suicide completion is a previous suicide attempt. Another factor is the use of substances before the completed suicide. Methods The most common lethal methods of suicide completion, according to the report, include firearms, suffocation, poisoning, and overdoses. In Ohio, over the past 10 years, firearms have been the mechanism used most often, with 52.7% of all completed suicides. This is followed by suffocation (26.2%), and drug overdose (11.1%), and other causes (10.1%). Ohio Veterans used firearms at a higher rate than the general population. Veterans used firearms as the mechanism to complete suicide 72.5% of the time. Drug overdoses as a mechanism for suicide have seen a sharp decline in Ohio over the past 10 years, dropping 33.8% for Veterans and 65% for non-Veterans. Prevention The report provides the following methods to help prevent suicide completion and attempts: Reducing access to the means of suicide (e.g. pesticides, firearms, certain medications) Media reporting on suicide events in a responsible way School-based interventions Introducing alcohol policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol Early identification, and provision of effective treatment for individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, chronic pain and acute emotional distress Training health workers beyond those in the behavioral health workforce in the recognition of suicidal behavior and assisting those at risk for suicide in accessing resources for help Providing follow-up care and community supports for individuals attempting suicide Stigma The report defines stigma as "a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality or person." Those who are affected by mental health conditions also face stigma and can lead to discrimination from others. Further, stigma may lead people who are contemplating or attempting suicide to not seek help. According to the report, military and veteran populations face a lot of stigma. Veterans who experience high levels of mental health stigma are less likely to seek treatment for their conditions. National Veteran Suicide Prevention According to the organization, Ohio has about 848,000 veterans which is the sixth largest population of veterans in the U.S. Some veterans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideations. Veterans are at special risk for suicide. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 257 Ohio veterans died by suicide in 2019. "Those numbers are staggering compared to the state's non-veteran adult suicide rate (19.1) and the nation's veteran suicide rate (31.6)." The organization stresses that people should ask veterans "Are you thinking of suicide?" instead of "Are you thinking of hurting yourself?" because how someone describes hurting themselves does not always include suicide. Here are three tips from National Veteran Suicide Prevention: Be Mindful About Asking Questions About Their Deployments &emsp;Although it is beneficial to hear a backstory about why a veteran is depressed or suicidal, it is essential to remember that talking about their experience can be traumatic. Listen to hear not to respond Even if you have the perfect response, wait to respond. Sometimes, a veteran wants to know you are listening to them. Avoid why questions In general, a why question makes people feel defensive as if they've done something wrong. Instead of asking why, ask how. Resources Crisis hotline: dial 988 and press 1 Dress, Right, Dress: 567-938-8012 Veteran crisis line: 1-800-273-8255, press 1 or text 838255