National statistics reveal that about 20 veterans end their lives per day, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
The state of Arizona is pioneering new policies of suicide prevention with the help of the Department of Veteran Affairs Department and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Data shows that Arizona’s suicide rate for veterans is 54.8 percent per 100,000 people, with Maricopa County’s rate at 54.4 percent.
According to the VA, both rates are higher than the nation’s average of veteran suicides of 38 percent.
The VA said that the largest contributors to the suicide rate are middle-age and older adult veterans. In 2014, about 65 percent of veterans who committed suicide were age 50 or older.
“These findings are deeply concerning, which is why I made suicide prevention my top clinical priority,” said VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin.
Dr. Shulkin said he hopes to reduce veteran suicides through support and education.
