WASHINGTON — More than 22,000 veterans have sought help from a special suicide hotline in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.
According to a recent RAND Corp. study, roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting them at a higher risk for suicide.
Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide as men who are not veterans.
The Department of Veterans Affairs teamed up with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hotline last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn’t doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The hotline receives up to 250 calls per day — double the average number calling when it began.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention coordinator for the VA, said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam wars.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press “1” after being connected.
