VA releases annual Veteran suicide prevention report, analyzing 2001-2022 data

The report is the most comprehensive national report on Veteran suicide, analyzing Veteran suicide from 2001-2022 (the most recent years for which we have data).

The report shows that there were 6,407 suicides among Veterans in 2022, lower than 12 of 14 previous years but three more than in 2021. Among non-Veterans, there were 41,484 suicides in

2022, 1,476 higher than 2021. 

Additional key report findings include decreases in suicide rates for:  

Ending Veteran suicide is VA’s top clinical priority, a critical aspect of President Biden’s Unity Agenda for the nation, and the White House strategy for reducing military and Veteran

suicide. Since 2022 began, VA has worked aggressively to expand support for Veterans in crisis, including offering no-cost health care to Veterans in suicidal crisis at VA or non-VA

facilities; launching the 988 (then press 1) to help Veterans connect more quickly with caring, qualified responders through the Veterans Crisis Line; expanding firearm suicide prevention

efforts; and encouraging Veterans to reach out for help through a national Veteran suicide prevention awareness campaign. Moving forward, VA and the entire Biden-Harris Administration will

continue to work urgently to end Veteran suicide through a public health approach that combines both community-based and clinically based strategies to save lives.

“Every Veteran suicide is a tragedy,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. “There is nothing more important to VA than ending Veteran suicide — and that means providing

Veterans with the care they need, wherever they need it, whenever they need it. We will learn from this report to better serve Veterans and save lives.”

The report also provides a detailed overview of actions VA is taking to prevent suicide, and a detailed analysis of Veteran subpopulations. The report is based on verified data from the

Centers for Disease Control and Department of Defense, and it meets the quality standards of a peer-reviewed publication. To ensure full transparency, VA releases yearly reports detailing

how we come to the conclusions in the Annual Suicide Prevention Report.