ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ Note: This NYS Health Foundation issue brief presents how ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s veteran suicide rate compares to the rest of the country, examines how veteran suicide rates are changing in ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ over time, and explores how State policies might influence veteran suicide rates.
New NYSHealth Issue Brief:
Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States–it affects all demographic groups, and our nation’s veterans are particularly at risk. While making up 8% of the U.S. adult population, veterans accounted for 14% of all deaths by suicide among the adult population in 2017.
Similarly, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ State veterans die by suicide at a much higher rate than the overall State population. Particularly concerning is the increasing rate of suicide among ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s youngest veterans, even as rates among older veterans have declined.
Although ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ has the second-lowest rate of veteran suicide in the nation (as of 2017), we can and must do better. Governor Cuomo announced in his 2020 State of the State a commitment to focus on suicide prevention among veterans and other vulnerable groups, and NYSHealth plans to emphasize suicide prevention in its veterans’ health program in 2020.
This NYSHealth issue brief presents how ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿’s veteran suicide rate compares to the rest of the country, examines how veteran suicide rates are changing in ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ over time, and explores how State policies might influence veteran suicide rates.
ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿ State Health Foundation, 1385 Broadway, 23rd Floor, ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿, NY 10018