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Skylar Mills
Rogers
Government
18 October 2017
Veterans Suicide Act of 2017
Of the 1.7 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, 300,000 suffer from
post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression. The men and women who put their lives on
the line for our everyday freedom are suffering deeply. We need to tart helping them as much as
they have helped us. If we could get all veterans to visit mental rehabilitation centers after they
come home from war we have a chance of reducing their risk at developing mental illnesses,
suicidal thoughts, family problems and much more. Visiting mental rehabilitation centers should
be mandatory for all veterans post-war because the suicide rate is too high, most veterans with
PTSD dont seek help, and veterans with mental illnesses often become homeless.
Approximately 22 veterans die by suicide every day. Although veterans make up only
10 percent of the population, they account for nearly one in five of all suicides in America
(ERLC). On average, there are 117 suicides per day. Veterans make up 18 % of daily suicides in
the US. When it came to suicidal thoughts, one study found about 14% of soldiers had thought
about taking their lives, while 5.3% had planned a suicide and 2.4% had actually made one or
more attempts (Veterans and Ptsd). Most veterans who have suicidal thoughts or have attempted
or committed suicide have a form of ptsd or major depression. Visiting a mental rehabilitation
center upon their return after deployment could help them in fighting these suicidal thoughts or
actions. Veterans are committing suicide in these high numbers attributed to triggering points:
depression, survivors guilt, self-blame for mission failure, impaired thinking caused by alcohol
or substance abuse, an altered worldview due to post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain
injury (Veteran Suicide Statistics). Being in combat is the biggest influence on veteran suicide.

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There are many factors to these problems that they have including being in combat, seeing and
doing terrible things no one should have to do, losing other veterans who may have been close to
them, or their higher ups. Everything plays a role into the suicides taking place. 14 percent of
those who have a reported suicide event in fiscal year (FY) 2011 (and did not die as a result of
the event) had a report of a repeat suicide event within the next 12 months. Among those who
survived their first suicide attempt and reattempted suicide within the next 12 months, less than
one percent died from suicide (Facts About Veteran Suicide). Not only are they attempting
suicide, they are attempting it repeatedly. If we could at least do a check-up for post-war
veterans, we could have a higher chance of preventing veteran suicide and could help veterans
that show signs of mental illnesses.
Many of the veterans who suffer from mental illnesses dont seek help. Fears about
possible impact on career prospects are based in reality; indeed, some will be judged medically
unfit to return to duty (PTSD). Veterans are afraid to be judged by their families, friends, or
fellow militants. So they try to hide what is happening to them. By making them go to a mental
rehabilitation center postwar we can help them cope with not only their mental illnesses, but their
fears of judgment. Professor at the University of Minnesota conducted a study on veterans with
PTSD and when and why they seek help. He claims that there are many factors that play into
why they seek out including the severity if the illness, age, and closeness to the clinic. "When
patients have a delay initiating care they're less likely to follow through," says Spoont. "Part of
what we're doing at VA with initial screening is to address this. If we can get a Veteran in to a
specialist that same day, it enhances their chance of success. (PTSD). This tells us that getting
veterans into mental rehabilitations right away will help reduce the risk of these mental illnesses.
Fewer than half of the soldiers who report symptoms of combat-related PTSD receive the care

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they need and of those soldiers who do start treatment, between 20 percent and 50 percent walk
away before its completion(Stars and Stripes). Why dont these veterans finish their treatment?
Are they ashamed? Are they not getting the right treatment? We need to improve our programs in
order to keep those veterans on track to getting their lives back.
About 11% of adult homeless population are veterans. There are many reasons as to why
these veterans are homeless including extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income
and access to health care. In addition to the complex set of factors influencing all homelessness
a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and
social support networks (National Coalition for Homeless Veterans). Some veterans come back
from combat without anyone to support them. On top of that they have a high risk of developing
a mental illness. In that case, they may be unfit to live in certain housing areas, giving them to
higher chance of become homeless. They dont seek help because they dont have the right
support or they are feared of being judged. The characteristics of these homeless veterans gives
a big hint as to why they do become homeless. The majority are single; live in urban areas; and
suffer from mental illness, alcohol and/or substance abuse, or co-occurring disorders (National
Coalition for Homeless Veterans). They have no support from home especially if their base is far
from their residency. The age of the veteran plays a role as well. Homeless veterans are younger
on average than the total veteran population. Approximately 9% are between the ages of 18 and
30, and 41% are between the ages of 31 and 50 ( Homeless Veterans). Most veterans are middle
aged and if they are single, they most likely have no one at home to help them visit a mental
rehabilitation center. Being able to recover and get back on their feet is going to be a challenge.
But I believe we are up to the challenge to put an end to veteran homelessness. Between 2010

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and 2011 there was actually a decrease in the number of homeless veterans, but it quickly
increased by 2012. In those years we did something right; lets do it again but make an even
bigger impact. During fiscal year FY 2013, VA provided specialized services to nearly 260,000
Veterans who were homeless or at-risk of homelessness (Veteran Homelessness). Giving this
many veterans services is a baby step to where we need to be today.
Not only do we need to get veterans into mental rehabilitations centers, we need to
improve the treatment and programs. Approximately 50% of returning service members who
need treatment for mental health conditions seek it, but only slightly more than half who receive
treatment receive adequate care (Veterans and Military Families). We cannot expect to have
every veteran visiting rehabilitation centers if the programs and treatment are subpar. They need
to be excellent and stay on top of everything. The doctors and nurses have the veterans lives in
their hands, and they need to do an outstanding job to do everything in their power to help these
veterans.
Veterans put their lives on the line for our freedom everyday. They volunteered to fight
for the American people so the least we can do is help them in recovering from the horrible
things they have been through. Suicide, PTSD, and homelessness are just a few reasons in why
mandatory mental rehabilitation visits are necessary. We must start taking action on veteran
mental illnesses. Mental rehabilitation centers will help our veterans become healthier and live
longer, fuller lives. We need to build more rehabilitation centers where the majority of veterans
are, that way they have no excuse not to go. Lets help these brave people.

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Bibliography:
1.

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Treatment of the Returning Iraq War
Veteran
-. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
2. Veteran Suicide Statistics | Active Heroes. Active Heroes,
https://activeheroes.org/veteran-suicide-statistics/.
3. "Office of Research & Development." Study Explores Reasons Why Veterans Seek
or Don't SeekPTSD Care. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
4. "National Coalition for Homeless Veterans." National Coalition for Homeless
Veterans. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
5. "Veterans and Military Families." N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.samhsa.gov/veterans-military-families>
6. Erlc. "5 Facts about Military Suicides." ERLC. N.p., 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Sept.
2016. <http://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-facts-about-military-suicides>.

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7. Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Office of Public Affairs.Veteran

Homelessness -, http://www.va.gov/opa/issues/homelessness.asp.
8. @deptvetaffairs. "Facts about Veteran Suicide - VAntage Point." VAntage Point.
N.p., 12 May 2016. Web. 18 Sept. 2016. <http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/27677/factsveteran-suicide/>.
9. Soldiers Fail to Seek PTSD Treatment or Drop out of Therapy Early, Research
Finds. Stars and Stripes.