Veteran Resources

Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC, FACHE

Chief Clinical Officer

August 16, 2021

This weekend we have been flooded with news and images of the situation occurring in Afghanistan. Our patient’s feelings about the situation are likely to come up in groups with our patients today, especially our veterans. Veterans are at increased risk for suicide, and we should be on alert to closely monitor our veteran patients.

The statistics are staggering:

• 20 veteran suicides in the United States each day. 14 of the 20 are not users of VA services. (2014 VA study)
• People who die by suicide are frequently experiencing undiagnosed, under-treated, or untreated PTSD/depression. (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• 50% of those with PTSD do not seek treatment; out of the half that seek treatment, only half of them get "minimally adequate" treatment (RAND study)
• 55% of women in the military developed a form of PTSD from sexual harassment and assault. (National Center for PTSD) and 76% do not report sexual assault. (DoD SAPR)
• Veterans who live more than 70 miles away from services – typically those in rural areas - are twice as likely to die by suicide because they do not have the support network to maintain a positive frame of mind. (US Department of Veterans Affairs)

I wanted to provide you with several resources:

• Veterans Hotline - The Veterans Crisis Line is a free, confidential resource available to veterans, even if they are not enrolled in VA health care or registered with VA. They have means to call, text, or online chat.
• The US Department of Veteran Affairs - A website that speaks to the mental health conditions most frequently affecting veterans and provides video vignettes that could be used as a springboard for groups.
• National Center for PTSD - Great resources on understanding trauma and PTSD.
• If you are a veteran and struggling, and you are a PMC employee, you also have access to our Employee Assistance Program by calling 1-800-386-7055, emailing them at eapcounselor@ibhcorp.com, or visiting the website at ibhworklife.com.

Thank you for all that you do to keep our patients safe!