{"id":246513,"date":"2023-11-10T07:11:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T15:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/socalempowered.com\/?p=246513"},"modified":"2023-11-10T13:35:54","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T21:35:54","slug":"veterans-mental-health-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/socalempowered.com\/veterans-mental-health-calls\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Veterans\u2019 Mental Health Takes Precipitous Downturn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>, more than 6,000 military veterans die by way of suicide every year. That\u2019s a terribly troubling statistic, but in relative terms, the news has been somewhat encouraging given that the average number of veteran suicide deaths has been declining slightly over the past two years. Does that mean that the overall state of veterans\u2019 mental health is improving? That\u2019s a difficult conclusion to draw, particularly in the wake of recent news regarding the number of calls people are making to the Veterans Crisis Line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to NBC News<\/a>, the number of phone calls and other forms of contact to the Veterans Crisis Line surged in March. This would indicate that instead of what seemed like a hopeful trend, it\u2019s possible that veterans\u2019 mental health is once again faced with an intensifying crisis. SoCal Empowered has been working with veterans and non-veterans since we opened our doors, and below our team of Orange County mental health professionals would like to discuss this report in hopes that we can help someone, even one person, find help before it\u2019s too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Details of the Veterans Crisis Line Data Report<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The NBC News reporting stated that in the month of March alone, the Veterans Crisis Line received more than 88,000 phone calls, text messages and chat requests. This number constitutes the highest volume of contact attempts since the crisis line came about in 2007. Specifically, 88,000 contacts represents a significant jump from the previous three years of March data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. March 2020 \u2013 67,500 contacts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. March 2021 \u2013 67,000 contacts<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. March 2022 \u2013 74,000 contacts<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Aside from the slight drop in veteran suicides mentioned above, the overall number of contacts rose by more than 30 percent in three years. While that could be seen as a positive in that more people are getting help, it also indicates that the state of veterans\u2019 mental health is at a crisis level. Finally, the overall transition to the national 988 suicide number<\/a> and the awareness campaign behind it may have also contributed to the increase in contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Update: Based on a more recent report<\/a>, it seems that veterans’ mental health continues to be a very difficult and pressing problem. 2023 is not turning out to be a good year for veterans who are struggling with any number of conditions. Despite everyone’s best efforts and positive feelings and thoughts, it’s sadly clear that there is still much to be done when it comes to this issue. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How Does 988 Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Last year, the new 988 suicide prevention number came about, and it serves as an outreach option for all people who are having suicidal thoughts as well as their loved ones. In order to promote efficiency, the Veterans Crisis Line<\/a> was folded into the 988 resource. These days, those who would fall into the category of struggling with veterans\u2019 mental health can dial 988 and then press 1 to speak to a trained staff member who will help the caller through the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Veterans or their loved ones can also reach out via chat (VeteransCrisisLine.net\/Chat<\/a>) or by texting 838255<\/a>. Those who would prefer to call the older phone number can do so by dialing 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1<\/a>. Trained staff members are available on a 24\/7 basis, and veterans who make contact will speak to someone who is specifically trained on the military and its culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Veterans\u2019 Mental Health Problems: Warning Signs of Suicidal Ideation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    As mentioned above, thousands of veterans commit suicide every year. The general rate of suicide for those currently or once associated with the military is higher than that of the general public. Given that extremely troubling reality, a small part of successfully dealing with veterans\u2019 mental health challenges is recognizing the warning signs of suicidal ideation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    According to the National Institute of Mental Health<\/a>, or the NIMH, there are several different ways in which people can experience and even display warning signs of suicide. A few examples of each appear below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Spoken Topics:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n