The Washington Times (1/1, Shastry) reported that the “death toll estimate” of 22 veteran suicides every day, a figure derived from a “2012 Department of Veterans Affairs study,” is “fueling efforts by the Obama administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to address the plight of struggling veterans.” Some psychiatrists, however, believe that “22 might be a conservative number.” Meanwhile, the VA is working with the CDC to compile “a national death index to get a real head count of all veteran deaths since 1979, including suicides.” This would provide a clearer picture than current data which are “based on partial information from state data and extrapolations.”
Related Links:
— “Veteran suicide estimate of 22 per day sparks debate, spurs lawmakers to action,” Anjali Shastry, Washington Times, December 31, 2015.