Oxon Hill, Maryland (November 17, 2022) – The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has deemed November 19, 2022, as International Survivors of Suicide Day. This will be followed by 3 months of events November 2022 through January 2023 for the continuation of this Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Project being initiated by Women Veterans United Committee, Inc. (WVUCI), CTL Dom Group, American Legion District 5, and the National Association of American Veterans, Inc. These events will also be supported by the Joint Veterans Committee of Maryland starting on Saturday, November 19, 2022.
WVUCI, along with other Veteran Service Organizations and Industry Sponsors will be hosting these events to share ways to help establish a better understanding of the mental health crisis we face in our communities and the challenges in preventing suicide. Due to the increasing numbers of fatalities amongst Veterans.
According to the 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual report, the average number of suicides per day among U.S. adults rose 55.0%, from 81.0 in 2001 to 125.6 in 2019. Across the same 18-year period, the average number of Veteran suicides per day rose 4.5%, from 16.4 in 2001 to 17.2 in 2019. In 2019, among the average 17.2 Veteran suicides per day, an estimated 6.8 suicides per day were among those with VHA encounters in 2018 or 2019, whereas 10.4 per day were among Veterans with no VHA encounter in 2018 or 2019. This event will encompass Veterans, Active Duty, and Civilian personnel to share ways to help establish a better understanding of the mental health crisis. For more information, please visit our Eventbrite page at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/462473369297.
The press is welcome to attend.