Mental Health/Suicide Prevention

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.

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.

In recent years the topic of military discharge has entered the public spotlight with the role of post-traumatic stress at the core of the discussion. Though mental health is required for consideration during the discharge process, recent media accounts criticize the extent to which mental health considerations are actually weighed.

As we honor those Americans who have sacrificed so much in the service of our country, we must do more to address a threat that stalks all too many of them: veteran suicide.

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.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Local events and in-person initiatives and screenings take place throughout the country all month long in an effort to lessen the stigma surrounding mental health and provide much-needed resources. After all, our mental health is ultimately a vital aspect of our physical health.

As the co-founder and chairman of the national nonprofit SoldierStrong, an organization dedicated to helping veterans take their next steps forward into life after service through the donation of revolutionary medical technologies, I am concerned for the health of veterans in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those veterans who are currently homeless.