Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans:

 

• 18 Veterans commit suicide each day
  • Source: Army Times
  • http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/military_veterans_suicide_042210w/

• A CBS News Investigation Uncovers A Suicide Rate For Veterans Twice That Of Other Americans
  • Source: CBS News, Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans
  • http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigates/main3496471.shtml
  • Source: CBS News, Veteran Suicides: How We Got The Numbers
  • http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigates/main3498625.shtml

• Suicide was the third leading cause of Canadian military deaths after motor vehicle accidents and cancer
  • Source: http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2010/04/latest-military-combat-veteran-suicide.html

• The service's suicide rate continues to rise (it doubled between 2001 and 2006) while remaining flat in the civilian population
  • Source: http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2010/04/latest-military-combat-veteran-suicide.html

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

 

• PTSD Rates Rising
  • Nearly 45% of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who sought care with VA through September 2008 had been diagnosed with possible psychological disorders, according to a January 2009 VA report
    • Source: http://www.military.com/news/article/ptsd-rates-rising.html

• VA diagnosing higher rates of PTSD
  • Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_veterans_carestats_011609w/

 

Traumatic Brain Injury

 

• TBI has been associated with 59% of blast-associated injuries
  • Source: Psychiatric Times http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/display/article/10168/56916

 

Alcohol and Drug Related Problems:

 

• Combat Veterans From Recent Wars Are At Increased Risk Of Alcohol-Related Problems
  • Veterans are six times more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol
    • Source: Medical News Today http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/118019.php

 

Homelessness

 

• One in Four Homeless Men in America are Veterans
  • Source: National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
    • http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

• There are 130,000 homeless U.S. Veterans, and 75% of them suffer from substance abuse problems
  • Source: alcoholmonitoring.com
    • http://www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/programs/veterans-treatment-court/the-statistics

 

Incarcerated Veterans

 

• There are 140,000 U.S. Veterans in prison, and 60% of those have a substance abuse problem
  • Source: alcoholmonitoring.com
    • http://www.alcoholmonitoring.com/index/programs/veterans-treatment-court/the-statistics

 

Military Spouses

 

• Increased Divorce Rates Illustrate Strain on Deployed Troops
  • Source: Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America
  • http://iava.org/press-room/press-releases/12308-increased-divorce-rates-illustrate-strain-deployed-troops

• Military Divorces Continue to Increase
  • Source: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/12/27/military-divorces-continue-to-increase/

 

Military Children

 

• How Deployment Stress Affects Children and Families: Research Findings
  • Source: Department of Veterans Affairs
    • http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/pages/pro_deployment_stress_children.asp

• Longer Parental Deployment Linked to More Emotional Challenges for Military Children                                                                                                     
  • Source: http://www.rand.org/news/press/2009/12/07/index.html

• Children on the Homefront: The Experience of Children From Military Families
  • Source: American Academy of Pediatrics special report
    • http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/125/1/16

• The Psychosocial Effects of Deployment on Military Children
  • Source:
  • http://journals.lww.com/jrnldbp/Abstract/2009/08000/The_Psychosocial_Effects_of_Deployment_on_Military.1.aspx

 

 

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