November 13, 2023.  

Whereas the number of suicides of members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty increased to 377 in 2020, an increase from 348 in 2019;

Whereas the suicide rate for veterans has steadily increased since 2006, with 6,261 veterans taking their own lives in 2019;

Whereas, after adjusting for sex and age, the rate of veteran suicide in 2018 was 27.5 per 100,000 individuals, higher than the rate among all United States adults, which was 18.3 per 100,000 individuals;

Whereas more veterans have died by suicide in the last 10 years than members of the Armed Forces who died from combat in Vietnam;

Whereas many of the veterans who take their own lives have had no contact with the Department of Veterans Affairs;

Whereas the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pandemic can lead to increased isolation and disconnection, further exacerbating mental and physical ailments such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury;

Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that law enforcement officers and firefighters are more likely to die by suicide than in the line of duty, and emergency medical services providers are 1.39 times more likely to die by suicide than members of the general public;

Whereas invisible wounds linked to an underlying and undiagnosed traumatic brain injury can mirror many mental health conditions, a problem that can be addressed through appropriate medical treatment; and

Whereas additional research is needed to highlight the connection between traumatic brain injury as a root cause of invisible wounds and suicide by members of the Armed Forces and veterans: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved,

Attest:

Clerk.