The number of veterans who committed suicide decreased in 2023 compared to 2022, but only slightly, the Department of Veterans Affairs said this week. That decrease in the overall number of deaths came even as the rate of suicide among veterans increased in 2023.
The findings were part of the latest annual suicide report from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The report tracks contributing factors and figures on veteran suicide from 2001 to 2023, the most recent year that data is available. 6,398 veterans took their own lives that year, down from 6,442 in 2022. However that came as the suicide rate among veterans increased, to 35.2 per 100,000, according to the VA. That is more than double the rate of suicides among non-veteran adults.
As in the report in 2022 numbers, suicide remained the second leading cause of death for veterans age 45 and younger. Overall, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death for veterans in 2023. It found that the suicide rate increased for both men and women, from 37.3 to to 37.8 for the former and from 13.7 to 13.9 for the latter.
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As with past years, the report identified several factors, often overlapping, that play major roles in veteran suicides. Homelessness and traumatic brain injury were among some of the most prominent factors. For those in Veterans Health Administration care in 2023, the suicide rate for those experiencing homelessness was 146% higher than those who were not. Meanwhile veterans with a recent TBI diagnosis had a 94.3% higher suicide rate than those without one. More than half of those who died had confirmed and documented problems with chronic pain and sleeplessness, the VA said. Other issues included financial loss, feelings of hopelessness and relationship issues.
The department and partner groups have been trying several programs to reduce the number of veteran suicides. Much of that has been to direct veterans in need to the the Veterans Crisis Line (reachable through the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). In 2022 the VA pushed several efforts to try and reduce veteran suicides, including a partnership with the Department of the Navy to provide free gun locks, available at VA and Navy facilities.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the VA spent approximately $571 million towards its suicide prevention efforts. Data from 2024 and 2024 is not out, but last year, veteran advocates called out the VA, saying that the programs and hundreds of millions of dollars are not making a significant dent in the rate of veteran suicides. In a statement sent along with report on the 2023 numbers, Secretary Doug Collins said that the VA is “totally revamping the department’s approach to suicide prevention.”
Of the veterans who took their own lives, roughly two thirds were not receiving VA health care in the last year of their lives. Of those who were receiving VA care, the number dropped by a full percentage point.The report also found that the suicide rate per 100,000 people increased for both men and women, from 37.3 to to 37.8 for the former and from 13.7 to 13.9 for the latter.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988 and you’ll be connected to trained counselors.
