MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — The statistics are startling. As many as 22 veterans in the U.S. take their own lives every day on average.
Martinsburg VA Medical Center Social Worker Jennifer Kelley said veterans, even those who did not see combat, have sometimes been exposed to trauma that can follow them. Kelley said. Veterans Affairs is working to prevent veteran suicide.
“We have nationally around 6,000 veterans per year dying by suicide. The top clinical priority of the VA is to suicide prevent,” Kelley said.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month and the last six years the Martinsburg VA has been sponsoring a Suicide Prevention Walk. This year’s event is set for this Wednesday beginning at 10 a.m. Participants will walk around the Martinsburg VA campus.
“This walk is to promote awareness on veterans suicide because it’s a major public health issue,” Kelley said.
One of the goals of the walk is reduce stigma, Kelley said.
“It’s about getting connected to mental health care and knowing what to do if you are experiencing a crisis and where to turn to,” she said.
Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon, himself a veteran, said the veteran suicide numbers are concerning.
“We have to do a better job on that,” Harmon said.
Harmon said law enforcement officers, many of whom are also veterans, are exposed to trauma they don’t always work through. Harmon said on-the-job trauma is not table talk for your kids or family, but there are people who can listen, some of whom have experienced trauma themselves.
“The VA center has a plethora of resources when you walk through the door but obviously you have to take that first step and walk through the door,” Harmon said.
Both Harmon and Kelley were guests recently on Panhandle Live on the Panhandle News Network.