Healthcare

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. When National Suicide Prevention Month began twenty years ago the death by suicide rate was 30% lower than it is today. Even with a continued reduction in the stigma surrounding seeking mental health treatment and the allocation of $222 million by Congress to the VA to prevent suicide in the past decade, there are still 17 veteran suicides each day. Even just one veteran suicide a day is far too many.

The evolving perspective and value of diversity in America’s collective mindset is a welcome trend that will serve to make us better as individuals and as a society.

Out of the COVID-19 pandemic, an opioid epidemic in our country has re-emerged with a vengeance.

More than 3 million Americans have served around 5.4 million deployments since the horrendous events that took place on 9/11, resulting in a considerable number of young veterans struggling with a plethora of mental health issues, including post-traumatic stress (PTS) and depression. Virtual reality therapy can be used to decrease or even eliminate symptoms of PTS.

As both the Veterans Administration (VA) and outside medical professionals and facilities look to expand access to mental health services to reach an even greater number of veterans and subsequently lessen the high rates of suicide within the population, the VA, the healthcare industry at-large and political leadership on the federal and state levels should continue to focus on greater efforts to reach rural veterans.

The current global health crisis has presented a complex set of intersecting challenges unlike any witnessed in the history of humankind. COVID-19 has shaken the pillars of our humanity and, in the United States, tested the boundaries of our political landscape as deep divisions about how best to mitigate the spread of the virus and provide economic relief lay in stark contrast.

Americans proudly place importance on thanking those who have served our country in defense of our freedoms, but we also must recognize that we have an obligation to many whose lives have been changed through debilitating injuries.

As the stigma surrounding mental health has continued to lessen in recent years, more of an emphasis has been placed on suicide prevention and as a result a number of programs have emerged to varying degrees of success.

It’s often said that “not all wounds are visible.” June offers the prime opportunity to reflect on that sentiment and conceptualize how we can ensure that even though some wounds may not be visible, they are still treated like those wounds that are.