U.S. Veteran Suicide Rate

[JustGeorge]

Ah. I did not realize, and in NC and VA the YMCA's I know of no longer do. I don't mean to blame our problems on the YMCA either. I merely think we need something better for homeless men that helps them recuperate, retrain and become.

I couldn't agree more. I have known more than one young man who was falling into trouble just because they didn't know how to navigate life. They hadn't ever been taught the skills of budgeting or upkeeping themselves or their household, and were lacking decent social skills. They were certainly not bad men.

Where I am is a difficult place to be a homeless man. We knew of a family who had suddenly become homeless; mom and kids were whisked away to a shelter, but dad had to sleep on the streets, because there were no men allowed, and no alternative places for him to go.

 

[We Never Know]

I couldn't agree more. I have known more than one young man who was falling into trouble just because they didn't know how to navigate life. They hadn't ever been taught the skills of budgeting or upkeeping themselves or their household, and were lacking decent social skills. They were certainly not bad men.

Where I am is a difficult place to be a homeless man. We knew of a family who had suddenly become homeless; mom and kids were whisked away to a shelter, but dad had to sleep on the streets, because there were no men allowed, and no alternative places for him to go.

A little off topic but prisoners are similar. They don't know how to function being free so they go from living on the street right back into prison.

I have a 45 year old cousin. He has spent 20+ years in and out of prison.
So since he was 15, he has spent more time locked up than free. He is generally out 4-7 months then right back in.

 

[JustGeorge]

I wonder... of the veteran suicide rate, what percentage are male, and what percentage female?

 

[Father Heathen]

Do you volunteer to help veterans?

We donated our old car to a veteran's charity, and we've donated food items to another. I've done volunteer work for the Red Cross, which offers services to veterans.

How about you? Also, what does this have to do with cutting funds for programs that benefit and aid veterans?

 

[Father Heathen]

Moral grandstanding doesn't really matter mate.

He's trying to deflect out of desperation.

 

[danieldemol]

There's something very wrong with the whole world.

We are accelerating towards disaster of our own making..
..climate-change due to materialistic, selfish indifference.

Selfish indifference is not necessarily materialistic, some of it is due to religious beliefs, there is a user of this forum who cannot be named who rejects climate change because it goes against his religion.

In my opinion

 

[muhammad_isa]

Selfish indifference is not necessarily materialistic, some of it is due to religious beliefs, there is a user of this forum who cannot be named who rejects climate change because it goes against his religion.

What you consider to be "religious beliefs", is more than likely political, imo.

 

[danieldemol]

What you consider to be "religious beliefs", is more than likely political, imo.

What you consider to be materialism is more likely political - see what i did there?

In my opinion.

 

[muhammad_isa]

What you consider to be materialism is more likely political - see what i did there?

In my opinion.

Explain to me why a person [who presumably lives in the US] doesn't agree with climate-change due to their religion?

 

[danieldemol]

Explain to me why a person [who presumably lives in the US] doesn't agree with climate-change due to their religion?

It is not for me to explain the religion of others, that is for them to do.

In my opinion.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Those who readily remind us to "support the troops" often vote to defund programs that would assist them.

Maybe supporting them is code for "tots and pears."

 

[gnomon]

We need to restart the YMCA, and we need more things like it. I don't know what killed the YMCA, but it should not have been killed. We need something for men when we lose our way -- something other than the streets, prison and insane asylums. We need a David or a lot of David type people.

There is a Y not far from where I work and it's constantly busy. When I took medical leave because of my mental health issues I tried to go there early one morning, because my doctor told me some exercise would be good, and it was crowded. I know that's just an anecdote but I seriously doubt the lack of a YMCA or other similar institutions is the problem.

 

[Shaul]

Moral grandstanding doesn't really matter mate.

I take that as a "no". It's not about moral grandstanding. It is about having your actions comport with your words.

 

[gnomon]

I wonder... of the veteran suicide rate, what percentage are male, and what percentage female?

https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/doc...ide-Prevention-Annual-Report-FINAL-9-8-21.pdf

From 2001 to 2019, the U.S. adult population increased 26.2%, from 186.6 million in 2001 to 235.4 million in 2019. From 2001 to 2019, the Veteran population decreased 23.1%, from 25.7 million in 2001 to 19.8 million in 2019. In this context, from 2001 to 2019, the unadjusted suicide rate among non-Veteran U.S. adults rose 33.0%, from 12.6 per 100,000 in 2001 to 16.8 per 100,000 in 2019. In comparison, the rate among Veterans rose 35.9% from 2001 to 2019, from 23.3 per 100,000 in 2001 to 31.6 per 100,000 in 2019. In 2019, the unadjusted suicide rates were highest among Veterans ages 18-34 (44.4 per 100,000). The unadjusted rate decreased 12.8% for female Veterans in 2019 compared to 2018, and decreased 3.6% for male Veterans in 2019 compared to 2018. To account for a) differences between the non-Veteran U.S. population and the Veteran population in terms of age and sex, and b) differences across time within the Veteran population, age- and sex-adjusted suicide rates were calculated. Figure 3 indicates that the difference in adjusted rates between Veterans and non-Veterans was highest in 2017, when Veteran adjusted rates were 66.3% greater than those for non-Veteran adults; this differential decreased to 52.3% in 2019.

Figure 5 presents age-adjusted suicide rates for Veteran men and women by year, 2001-2019. Rates for Veteran men were highest in 2018 (40.4/100,000) and fell 3.8% in 2019 (38.8/100,000); rates for Veteran women were highest in 2017 (19.9/100,000) and fell in 2018 (18.1/100,000) and again in 2019 (15.4/100,000), which represented a 14.9% decrease relative to 2018.

That's one source from the 2021 Veteran Suicide Prevention annual report. This source shows not only a dramatic increase in suicides but an even greater increase among veterans. If I am reading it correctly, to try to answer your question (sorry I didn't directly show the actual graph), it appears that suicides among male veterans have been higher than that of females even with the decline from 2018 to 2019.

I'm not great at interpreting these things so a fact check or another source would be appreciated.

edit: Lost sight of the OP when I looked up this study which might be the basis of the underreporting that is linked in the OP.

 

[Shaul]

He's trying to deflect out of desperation.

So, do you volunteer to help veterans?
That isn't "deflection". As a veteran myself I want to know.

 

[Shaul]

We donated our old car to a veteran's charity, and we've donated food items to another. I've done volunteer work for the Red Cross, which offers services to veterans.

How about you? Also, what does this have to do with cutting funds for programs that benefit and aid veterans?

As a Marine Corps veteran I have helped many veteran organizations with time and money, my fellow veterans individually, and put my own person on the line to defend the country. So, yes, I support veterans.

What it has to do with the cutting of funds is this. Those I asked decried how the funding was cut. If they don't personally support veterans then their words are empty platitudes. Worse they could be exploiting the plight of veterans just to make political hey. Even worse are those that in other venues show contempt for the military and complain of veteran support funding cuts when they actually despise veterans in their hearts. I'm not saying these things are necessarily true of anyone here. But as a veteran myself I have seen to be true of others far too often. I feel no regret asking if people truly support veterans and no need to apologize for it either.

 

[Father Heathen]

As a Marine Corps veteran I have helped many veteran organizations with time and money, my fellow veterans individually, and put my own person on the line to defend the country. So, yes, I support veterans.

What it has to do with the cutting of funds is this. Those I asked decried how the funding was cut. If they don't personally support veterans then their words are empty platitudes. Worse they could be exploiting the plight of veterans just to make political hey. Even worse are those that in other venues show contempt for the military and complain of veteran support funding cuts when they actually despise veterans in their hearts. I'm not saying these things are necessarily true of anyone here. But as a veteran myself I have seen to be true of others far too often. I feel no regret asking if people truly support veterans and no need to apologize for it either.

Who actually despises veterans? Can you give some examples of these shows of contempt?
My father was a veteran. He was in the air force as a mechanic during the Vietnam war.
Opposing unnecessary or unjustified wars isn't the same as hating the military or the troops. Nor is opposing a bloated budget.

 

[Shaul]

Who actually despises veterans? Can you give some examples of these shows of contempt?
My father was a veteran. He was in the air force as a mechanic during the Vietnam war.
Opposing unnecessary or unjustified wars isn't the same as hating the military or the troops. Nor is opposing a bloated budget.

You must be kidding. Are you arguing that there are no people that despise veterans? Really?!

 

[gnomon]

Is higher then what the Veterans Administration reports, through no fault of its own.

Study finds 37% greater veteran suicide rate than reported by VA

Thank you for the thread.

 

[Father Heathen]

You must be kidding. Are you arguing that there are no people that despise veterans? Really?!

Then it should be easy to provide some clear cut examples, right?