Target Suicide

1594 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sociological perspectives of suicide

LHI and Target: Reduce suicide rates from 11.3 to 10.2 per 100,000 population
Target Population: Veteran population >18 years of age in the United States
Determinants: Demographic (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and socio-economic status (education, unemployment, income, housing status) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines suicide as "death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with any intent to die as a result of the behavior" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], n.d.a). In 2013, suicide ranked as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and claimed more than 41,000 American lives, making it a significant public health priority (Murphy, Xu, & Kochanek, 2014). Reducing suicide rates …show more content…

More than 69 percent of all veteran suicides were among individuals 50 years or older compared to 37 percent among those individuals not identified as veterans (Kemp & Bossarte, 2014). In 2013, the highest suicide rate in the United States (19.7 per 100,000) was among individuals 45 to 54 years old and the second highest rate (18.6 per 100,000) occurred in individuals 85 years and older (CDC, n.d.d). Within the veteran population, males accounted for more than 97% of all suicides among veterans compared to 74 percent among those identified as non-veterans (Kemp & Bossarte, 2014). While it is significant to note that 93 percent of the veteran population is male, female veterans are also twice as likely to commit suicide than women who have never served (CDC, n.d.d). Suicides occurred at a four times higher rate among men (20.2 per 100,000) than women (5.5 per 100,000) within the general US population in 2013. Among racial and ethnic groups, the suicide rate was highest for non-Hispanic whites in those identified as veteran as well as the general population (Kemp & Bossarte, 2014; CDC, …show more content…

The VA is awaiting data from additional states in order to provide more accurate statistics. Another limitation is the reliability of suicide data and veteran status derived from death certificates as this information is often obtained from family members or collected by funeral home staff and not validated through another system (Kemp & Bossarte, 2014). Lack of accurate veteran population data and difficulty tracking veterans has also been noted as approximately half of the veteran population does not receive healthcare through VA facilities and there is not an accurate surveillance method for those veterans not within the system (United States Department of Veterans Affairs [VA], n.d.). Ideally data would be readily available for tracking suicides as a cause of death and it would be easy to determine if an individual was a veteran, however, this is not the

Show More
Related

  • Veterans Deserve a Second Chance Back Home in the USA

    1481 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basu, Moni. "Why Suicide Rate among Veterans May Be More than 22 a Day." CNN. CNN, 14 Nov. 2013. Web.

    Read More

  • Suicide of Vietnam Veterans

    1329 Words  | 3 Pages

    The deaths that were experienced in Vietnam due to Agent Orange and other jungle diseases have become well known by the general public. However, it is suicide that has resulted in the deaths of over 150,000 Vietnam soldiers during and after the war. An enormous amount of suicides resulted from what most people call “protecting our country”. The Vietnam War brought more than fifty-eight thousand deaths and is to some one of the darkest battles in United States history. If not killed during the war, many believe any Vietnam veteran would return home great and proud. But this is not the case. Many Vietnam veterans have committed suicide before, during, and after the war.

    Read More

  • Essay On Suicide In The Military

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States of America possess a major complication, which is the high amount of suicides in the military. Most people are unaware of the risks from being in the military until it is too late to assist them. Serving in the military can cause PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), which then leads to complications with family situations, financial issues, and depression. Without proper therapy, many soldiers are at high risk of committing suicide. According to researchers, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. military, with rates ranging between 9 to 15 deaths per 100,000 service members (Bryan, et al. 1). Typically, Caucasian male service members are more at risk of suicides than any females (****). This affects multiple civilians that have family or friends who are serving in the military. Furthermore, this matter is important because not only are they civilians who commit suicides, but they are the leaders who stepped up to protect and defend our country. America needs to aid its troops for the sake of the nation’s defense. In order to reduce the amount of suicides during and after being deployed from the military, the military must require soldiers to know of ways to help themselves and others in need of assistance. A few ways to aid soldiers are suicide hotlines, counseling

    Read More

  • The Epidemic of Male Suicide

    1248 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the past decade, suicide rates have been on the incline; especially among men. According to the New York Times (2013), “From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent… The suicid...

    Read More

  • Mental Health Care For Veterans Essay

    2033 Words  | 5 Pages

    “In 2014, an average of 20 veterans died from suicide each day” (Thompson 1). Mental health care for veterans has been a long debated topic. For years people have debated whether or not veterans need more assistance, privatized health care, or a complete reform of the current veterans affairs programs. It should come as no surprise that with roughly 20 veterans committing suicide each day, this program needs help. Without help the mental health status of United States veterans will only continue to deteriorate, suicides will increase, and more people will go untreated.

    Read More

  • Surviving Suicide: Isolated by Social Stigmas

    2023 Words  | 5 Pages

    Suicide is the eleventh most common cause of death in the United States. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a person takes their own life once every fourteen minutes in the United States (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention [AFSP], 2011). Still, with suicide rates so high, suicide is a taboo topic in our society. Though suicide is intended to end one person’s pain, it causes an immeasurable amount of pain and suffering to loved ones close to the deceased.

    Read More

  • veteran suicide

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    The transition to civilian life has left many young veterans desperate as suicide rates among veterans are much higher than that of the civilian population. In fact according to (Basu, 2013), “the annual suicide rate among veterans is about 30 for every 100,000 of the population, compared with the civilian rate of 14 per 100,000. The analysis of records from 48 states found that the suicide rate for veterans increased an average of 2.6% a year from 2005 to 2011 -- more than double the rate of increase for civilian suicide.” As these brave men and women have given so much to protect this country it is important to look at why suicide rates among veterans are so high and propose a possible solution to this horrible problem.

    Read More

  • Veterans Mental Health

    1542 Words  | 4 Pages

    The mental health needs of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is a top concern for the VHA. “In 2007, Congress required the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement a comprehensive suicide prevention program.” (McCarthy 1034) This legislature shows the demanding needs associated with veterans that served in this region. Researchers have shown the number of suicides among service members is drastically higher than the statistics observed in civilians.

    Read More

  • Informative Speech On Veterans

    756 Words  | 2 Pages

    Clearly most battle-scared vets aren't getting the support that they need in the mental aspects of their lives, which leads to suicidal thoughts, which may eventually lead to actions. In 2010, just six short years ago, twenty-two veterans committed suicide each day. I believe that with the right support and respect that our Soldiers deserve, many veterans can be taken off of the streets, and be financially supported the way that they

    Read More

  • Suicide In The Military Research Paper

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to Clifton’s news article, Suicide Rate in Military at Highest Level in Ten Years (Jun 8, 2012), during the first quarter of the year 2012, the military services were impacted with 154 suicides only on active duty members. 2012 was the worst year in terms of

    Read More

  • Veterans Suicide Essay

    1887 Words  | 4 Pages

    Veteran suicides have been increasing tremendously over the last several years. Certain events have to occur for this to happen, and with veterans returning from the battlefield, some veterans have many issues to overcome. According to Shane III (2014), from 2009-2011, the number of young veterans committing suicides has increased (para. 1). In the same article, veterans who are older, saw a decrease in the suicide rate, while their fellow veterans, who are under the age of 30, have been experiencing a 44 percent increase, which is approximately two veterans per day after they have been discharged for a few years (para. 3). According to Shane (para.7), out of the twenty two deaths per day, about five are patients have been seen in the VA

    Read More

  • Benjamin Franklin Believed Moderation: Most Important Virtue of Life

    848 Words  | 2 Pages

    Suicide in the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention." NIMH RSS. National Institute of Mental Health. 12 Dec. 2013 .

    Read More

  • Interpretations Of Suicide

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    This article focuses on how adolescents and young adults view the differences between male and female suicides and suicide attempts. The authors point out that suicide rates among young men have been increasing at an alarming rate in the latter half of the 20th century. The suicide rate for young men is much higher than for young women, while non-fatal

    Read More

  • Cause And Effect Essay On Mental Health

    1149 Words  | 3 Pages

    Suicide is when someone takes their own life. There are various reasons why someone might end their own life. Most of the time depression has a significant impact towards suicide. For the 2020 measurement, the value we are working toward is to reduce the rate of suicidal deaths. The baseline measurement is 11.3 suicides per 100,000 population occurred in 2007. The target is to bring suicide rates to 10.2 suicides per 100,000 population. The target- setting method is a 10 percent improvement on suicidal deaths. The data that is measured is measured by the numerator representing the number of deaths due to suicide and the denominator representing the number of people per

    Read More

  • Suicide Prevention

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Klugman, Joshua, Gretchen Condran, and Matt Wray. "The Role Of Medicolegal Systems In Producing Geographic Variation In Suicide Rates. " Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell) 94.2 (2013): 462-489. Business Source Premier.

    Read More

More about Target Suicide

Open Document