Noteboom The Law Firm

Effective Suicide Prevention Requires Outreach Programs

July 27, 2010 - Army Col. Robert Saum is the Director of the Defense Centers for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. He recently testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee that the Department of Defense (DoD) has a "multi-pronged" approach to preventing suicide among military personnel. An effective approach requires two elements:

• Comprehensive education; and
• Communication.

The DoD offers many resources for military personnel, but they are all worthless if nobody knows about them. The success of these resources then, depends on the communication of their existence. The DoD runs specific programs designed to help military personnel handle stressors that may be precursors to suicide. These prevention programs focus on:

• Substance abuse;
• Relationships; and
• Legal, work, and financial issues.

Saum's testimony also spoke to the DoD's continued partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and private organizations to reach the most military personnel possible. The DoD works with the VA on many outreach programs to make sure those veterans and their families in need receive and continue to receive access to DoD resources.

The DoD and the VA worked together establishing a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and continue this work by providing help for those who are worried about a loved one. Further, the DoD's outreach initiatives have focused on breaking down the stigma attached with mental health issues that hamper and prevent soldiers and veterans from getting help.

The number of suicides among military personnel has been rising for the last 5 years. It has gotten to the point where approximately 18 veteran deaths each day are blamed on suicide. Those patients having been diagnosed with mental illnesses make up almost 50% of all suicides of people using VA health care.

The VA leads the pack when it comes to establishing suicide prevention programs. Along with running hundreds of informational and outreach programs, the VA uses aggressive advertising plans. As a result, more calls than ever are being placed to suicide prevention lines.