Veteran suicides rose in 2021 despite increased prevention efforts

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Veteran suicides rose in 2021 despite increased prevention efforts
By Leo Shane III
Thursday, Nov 16
A slide from the Department of Veterans Affairs annual report on veterans suicides shows an increase in deaths from 2020 to 2021. (Courtesy of VA)

The suicide rate among veterans rose slightly in 2021 as federal officials struggled to make more progress in their outreach and emergency response efforts designed to curb self-harm.

According to estimates released by the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday, suicides among veterans were up 1.8% from 2020 to 2021, the most recent year for which state death data is available. The totals had dropped each of the two years before the 2021 reversal.

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