New Study: Nearly Half of Student Veterans Have Considered Suicide

Concern about the rate of suicide among veterans has been swirling, and with many returning veterans heading to school with their GI Bill benefits, colleges are joining the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and veterans groups to step up their support offerings.

Student veterans are far more likely than civilian students to have considered suicide, according to a new study presented at the American Psychological Association meeting in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 4.

The 2011 study surveyed more than 500 student veterans and found that 46 percent reported thinking about suicide at least once. Ten percent reported thinking about suicide quite often, while 8 percent reported a suicide attempt. Researchers noted those results were significantly different from a 2010 survey of college students in general, which found only 6 percent of respondents reported seriously considering suicide and just over 1 percent had attempted suicide.

Senators urge research, action to support veterans

The day before the study results were presented, a group of U.S. senators called on state governors to begin reporting data on veteran suicides to the VA. The senators argued that a lack of clear data about suicide among veterans and active duty servicemembers hinders effective outreach and prevention efforts.

"We must continue to support our brave men and women, who have fought in harm's way, when they arrive home," said Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), at left. "The increase in suicides among our nation's veterans is troubling and we must find a way to respond to this serious trend. I have reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding the need for them to do more to stem the level of suicides, and I have urged the nation's governors to begin reporting veteran suicides to the VA. I also urge institutions of higher learning to pay particular attention to veterans enrolled at their schools and to provide the necessary support they need to readjust to civilian life."

Nearly all of the veterans surveyed--98 percent--had been deployed and nearly 60 percent had seen combat, Brian Hawthorne, board member of Student Veterans of America and an Iraq war veteran, told InsideHigherEd.com. According to Hawthorne, going from combat to campus can involve significant culture shock.

"The transition in and of itself is a very challenging one, especially at traditional schools, where maybe 95 percent of your peers have no concept of what your life has been like," Hawthorne told InsideHigherEd.

Resources for veterans struggling to readjust to civilian life

Veterans groups are mobilizing to provide more resources for veterans on college campuses. In an interview with GIBill.com, Hawthorne stressed that veterans should be aware that adjustment difficulties are normal and seek help when they need it.

"Student veterans who feel down or depressed should seek out those best qualified to help them: the VA hotline or counselors at their schools," Hawthorne said. "Long before that point comes, however, it is essential to build and grow a support network of fellow veterans and friends on campus who have your back, just like they did in the military. There are so many people out there who want to help. There is no reason to be alone and not reach out."

The VA currently provides a number of resources for veterans struggling with suicidal thoughts, including a 24-hour Veterans Crisis Line, which offers free, confidential counseling. Veterans can also go to www.veteranscrisisline.net to chat online or get additional resources.

"The professionals at the Veterans Crisis Line are specially trained and experienced in helping veterans of all ages and circumstances--from veterans coping with mental health issues that were never addressed to recent veterans struggling with relationships or the transition back to civilian life," a VA representative wrote in an email.

As an increasing number of veterans return from combat and use their GI Bill benefits to go back to school, colleges are also stepping up the resources available to help veterans make a successful transition. Jo-Ann Orcutt, left, director of community outreach at Lackawanna College, a private college working closely with veterans, said that the school works to involve veterans with each other and with other students and the local community.

"As we welcome back the men and women from oversees, we acknowledge that they have helped to rebuild world neighborhoods that have been in disrepair or collapsed. And we thank them," Orcutt said. "We need to recognize that the skill set they now possess can help us rebuild at home. I am constantly amazed at what I see and hear from the veteran students in our group. Their immediate concern is always for the community at large."

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