Type of content: News
The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) this week released a survey showing that 44 percent of respondents said they have thought about suicide since joining the military, with only 10 percent saying they had thought about it prior to military service.
The top veteran advocacy organization’s 10th annual survey was issued over a three-week period in December and January to all IAVA member veterans and over 1,700 veterans responded.
Type of content: News
In 2019, 47 active-duty Marines committed suicide – 11 fewer than in 2018 – while the Navy reported 72 suicides, four more than a year earlier, according to preliminary totals from both services.
The Marine Corps suicide rate for the calendar year 2019 was 25.3 per 100,000 active-duty Marines, a decrease from the rate of 30.7 per 100,000 active-duty Marines in 2018.
Type of content: News
Insomnia-related sleep complaints were found to be highly prevalent in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to the results of a study published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.
Type of content: News
Service members who suffered moderate to severe traumatic brain injury in combat have significantly higher incidence of mental health disorders in following years as compared to warfighters who sustained other traumatic injuries, a study found.
The study, published in the current issue of the journal Military Medicine, examined almost 5,000 cases of traumatic injury experienced by Marines, soldiers, airmen and sailors during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan from February 2002 to February 2011.
Type of content: News
Apple has teamed up with Veteran Affairs (VA) to allow those who’ve served our country to now access their health records via iPhone. Health records access via Apple’s Health app has been available to iPhone users since the beginning of 2018. However, the ability to access that data has been limited to those hospitals and medical systems working with Apple to allow people to access their records.
Type of content: News
Wounded veterans have seen improved employment opportunities and quality of life in recent years but still face serious long-term mental health and physical health challenges, according to a new survey of Wounded Warrior Project members released this week.
Among the most disturbing findings is that one-third of veterans polled for the report had suicidal thoughts in just the past two weeks.
Type of content: News
Veterans who were stationed in Afghan and Iraqi war zones after the 9/11 terror attacks have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis, according to new research.
Type of content: News
A federal court this week ordered Veterans Affairs officials to reimburse veterans for all expenses at non-department emergency medical centers, a move that could mean payouts of tens of thousands of dollars to patients facing financial distress because of their hospital bills.
Type of content: News
The Pentagon will put out a new annual report on military suicide starting this year, Defense Suicide Prevention Office Director Karin Orvis announced Aug. 27.
The inaugural report, due out this fall, will detail data on suicide incidents among troops and their family members that occurred in 2018, according to DOD.
Type of content: News
These are not your average service animals.
For the first time ever, a clinical research study has been funded – not by the government, but by a private citizen – to investigate the potential benefits of pairing patients with PTSD, specifically veterans, and horses. And the early results are promising.