DoD/VA Effectively End Suicide Data Public Disclosure

The Count: UNKNOWN

*Editor’s note:

It appears DoD/VA leaders have ordered an end to regular, scheduled public disclosures of suicide data.

The 113th Congress seems disinterested, distracted or unwilling to demand transparency on the EXTRAORDINARY rise in veteran and active military suicides.

Therefore, The Military Suicide Report can no longer present up-to-date suicide numbers here with any confidence.

However … based on what has been previously reported by VA, DoD, and other government sources, it is certain more than 100,000 veterans and active military have died from suicide since Sept. 11, 2001.(source: US Dept of Veterans Affairs, US Center for Disease Control)

Should these department leaders decide for some strange reason to resume regular public disclosure of suicide data, this page will again be updated to reflect the reported suicide data from VA/DoD.

DEADLY APPOINTMENTS: Vets Increasingly Arriving at VA Hospitals … To Kill Themselves

VA Refusing to Release Name of Patient Who Shot Self Inside Texas VA Hospital Bathroom; Circumstances, Condition of Victim Unknown

OFFICIALS: Veteran shoots self at VA hospital in Temple

by Jeremy Schwartz
American-Statesman, Sept. 9, 2013

A veteran shot himself inside a public restroom at the Department of Veterans Affairs Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center in Temple on Monday morning and was taken to Scott and White Hospital’s trauma unit, VA officials said.

Officials say the veteran, who they are not identifying, walked into the hospital around 7:55 a.m. and went to a public restroom near the entrance and shot himself.

VA officials also would not disclose the type of treatment the man was receiving at the medical center.

“This is a tragedy that all of our employees take very seriously,” Deborah Meyer, spokeswoman for the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, said in a statement.

“We are conducting a full review of the circumstances surrounding this case to identify potential lessons learned so we can further enhance our Suicide Prevention Program.”

Meyer said the program has three suicide prevention coordinators and is designed to help veterans with chronic health issues transition to civilian life.

Veterans or family members in need of assistance can call the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line, a toll-free confidential resource that connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders.

Veterans and their loved ones can call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, or chat online at http://www.VeteransCrisisLine.net.

They may also send a text message to 838255 to receive free, confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, even if they are not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care.

Read this story at its source:

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local-military/officials-veteran-shoots-self-at-va-hospital-in-te/nZq8W/

Read more stories about recent suicides at VA hospital facilities:

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/lawmakers-call-for-va-hospital-changes-following-f/nXnrw/

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/attempted-suicide-at-va-medical-center-as-preventi/nZrYX/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/vas-reputation-for-health-care-takes-a-thrashing/2013/09/12/dcff3180-1bbc-11e3-8685-5021e0c41964_story.html

http://helenair.com/news/local/vet-commits-suicide-at-va-hospital-campus/article_c0a0cae4-0e97-11e3-8a4c-001a4bcf887a.html

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=9235106

View briefing summary report on inpatient suicide at VA Hospitals:

http://usmedicine.com/pageImages/MillsPresentationonInpatientSuicideVADOC.pdf