VA releases annual Veteran suicide prevention report, analyzing 2001-2022 data

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report. The report is the most comprehensive national report on Veteran suicide, analyzing Veteran suicide from 2001-2022 (the most recent years for which we have data).

The report shows that there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans in 2022, lower than 12 of 14 previous years but three more than in 2021. Among non-Veterans, there were 41,484 suicides in 2022, 1,476 higher than 2021. 

Additional key report findings include decreases in suicide rates for:  

• Women Veterans: From 2021 to 2022, age-adjusted suicide rates for female Veterans decreased by 24.1%, while for female non-Veteran U.S. adults, suicide rates increased by 5.2%. For male Veterans, age-adjusted suicide rates increased by 1.6%, while for male non-Veteran U.S. adults, rates increased by 1.8%.
• Homeless Veterans: Veterans with a documented history of homelessness in their VA medical records saw a 19.1% reduction in suicide from 2021 to 2022.
• Transitioning service members: For those who separated from the military in 2021, the suicide rate over the next 12 months was 46.2 per 100,000. This was lower than for those who separated in 2020 and down from a high of 51.0 per 100,000 for those who separated in 2019.
• Younger Veterans: The suicide rate for Veterans aged 18-34 years decreased by 3.8% from 2021 to 2022.
• Veterans with mental health conditions (long-term trend): From 2001 to 2022, suicide rates fell for Veterans receiving VHA care with diagnoses of anxiety (36.1%), depression (34.5%), post-traumatic stress disorder (31.6%), alcohol use disorder (13.7%).

Ending Veteran suicide is VA’s top clinical priority, a critical aspect of President Biden’s Unity Agenda for the nation, and the White House strategy for reducing military and Veteran suicide. Since 2022 began, VA has worked aggressively to expand support for Veterans in crisis, including offering no-cost health care to Veterans in suicidal crisis at VA or non-VA facilities; launching the 988 (then press 1) to help Veterans connect more quickly with caring, qualified responders through the Veterans Crisis Line; expanding firearm suicide prevention efforts; and encouraging Veterans to reach out for help through a national Veteran suicide prevention awareness campaign. Moving forward, VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration will continue to work urgently to end Veteran suicide through a public health approach that combines both community-based and clinically based strategies to save lives.

“Every Veteran suicide is a tragedy,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. “There is nothing more important to VA than ending Veteran suicide — and that means providing Veterans with the care they need, wherever they need it, whenever they need it. We will learn from this report to better serve Veterans and save lives.”

The report also provides a detailed overview of actions VA is taking to prevent suicide, and a detailed analysis of Veteran subpopulations. The report is based on verified data from the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Defense, and it meets the quality standards of a peer-reviewed publication. To ensure full transparency, VA releases yearly reports detailing how we come to the conclusions in the Annual Suicide Prevention Report.

Learn more information about VA’s comprehensive, nationwide efforts to prevent Veteran suicide. For additional Veteran suicide mortality data, see the report’s accompanying state data sheets.