Noteboom The Law Firm

Student Veterans Have Higher Rates Of Attempted Suicide Than Non-Veterans

It seems those veterans choosing to go to college put themselves at an even higher rate of risk of suicide. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), student-veterans attempt suicide at a rate 6 times that of their non-veteran peers. It is unknown if a veteran's disability has any connection with this risk.

The study also found student-veterans relayed both thinking about, and planning, suicide at "significantly higher rates" than students who never served. A group of researchers recently examined a group of 525 veterans (415 male and 110 female) with an average age of 26 years old. Of those, 98% served in either Afghanistan or Iraq and anywhere between 58 and 60% of those reported being in combat.

Almost half of the veterans in the study claimed at some point in their lives they thought about committing suicide. About 20% of that group claimed to have suicidal thoughts coupled with a plan, which is a "serious suicidal risk." In 2010, the American College Health Association reported only 6% of college students claimed to have "seriously [considered] suicide."

Researchers also unfortunately found 7.7% of student-veterans reported an attempt at suicide. For non-veteran college students, that number was 1.3%.

Very little research has been done on veterans on campus. It is estimated more than a million veterans will be enrolled in college over the next 10 years alone. This being the case, many thousands of veterans will be at risk.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.