Missouri veterans are suffering from an epidemic of suicide. Reach out and help them | Opinion

Sunday, Nov. 17 will mark National Warrior Call Day, a crucial date designated by lawmakers that enlists all Americans to connect with the men and women who have risked everything for the nation but who may be suffering on the precipice of self-destruction.

Championed by a bipartisan group of 40 U.S. senators, including Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, the effort draws attention to those service members and veterans perilously disconnected from family, friends and support systems. Disconnection from others is proving fatal for veterans, with experts reporting that two-thirds of vets who die by suicide have had no contact with services.

Researchers have identified such social isolation as “arguably the strongest and most reliable predictor of suicidal ideation, (suicide) attempts and lethal suicidal behavior,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

National Warrior Call Day seeks to end that isolation. It asks that all Americans — especially active duty and retired military personnel — call a warrior, someone who has worn or is currently wearing the uniform, and connect them with support, if necessary. Our exhortation to everyone is to make a call and have an honest and heartfelt conversation with a service member or veteran. Human connection can save a life.

For Missouri, National Warrior Call Day can’t come soon enough. The suicide rate among veterans in the Show-Me State is nearly double the suicide rate for all citizens, according to the most recent VA assessment. In addition, the state holds the tragic distinction of having one of the highest suicide rates for veterans anywhere in the U.S.

The problem is so persistent that Gov. Mike Parson signed into law this summer a measure directing the Missouri Veterans Commission to work alongside the Missouri Department of Mental Health and step up suicide prevention programs for veterans.

A key provision of the law mandates that the commission annually submit a detailed report to the Department of Public Safety and the General Assembly. The report is to include specific recommendations, an assessment of the implementation of measures and an assessment of the overall effectiveness of the commission’s efforts to prevent veteran suicide.

National Warrior Call Day comes as suicides are climbing among veterans across the country. In 2021, the most recent year of complete national data examined by the VA, suicides increased by 1.8% compared to the previous year. The suicide rate far exceeds that of the general population, with veterans nearly twice as likely to die by suicide. What’s more, suicide is on the rise among women veterans for whom the rate increased over the previous year by 24% — significantly higher than the rate of increase among male veterans.

In the most recent annual assessment released last November, the VA found that suicide is the 13th leading cause of death for veterans overall, but the second leading cause of death for those under the age of 45.

Among current U.S. service members, the trends are similarly tragic. A study released by the Pentagon found that Army troops are more likely to die from suicide than any other cause. The report, which examined a sample of troop deaths from 2012 to 2019, showed that soldiers are nearly nine times more likely to die by suicide than they are in combat.

In one Missouri example of worrisome active duty trends, the Army base at Fort Leonard Wood has experienced among the highest recorded suicide attempts and suicidal ideations for new recruits several years in a row, the Department of Defense found.

“If we can prevent one suicide today … we can start turning this into a downward trend,” said state Rep. Dave Griffith, a Jefferson City Republican and sponsor of the bill Parson signed into law. “Every Missourian can make a difference. We can take that step today.”

National Warrior Call Day is an opportunity for Missourians to make that difference, to make a call to a warrior and tether someone to hope where there was none before.