Veteran Suicide & Mental Health: Data-Backed Insights on Nutrition, Fitness & Prevention

If you or someone you love is struggling, call 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line, text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Support is free, confidential, and open 24/7. You don't need to be enrolled in VA health care.

How Many Veterans Are Affected

The VA's most recent annual report counted 6,407 veteran suicides in 2022, an average of 17.6 per day. Rates run higher among veterans than non-veterans. Adjusted for age, the 2022 rate was 44% higher for male veterans and 92% higher for female veterans than for non-veteran men and women.

Veterans age 55 and older accounted for about 60% of veteran suicides that year. Firearms were involved in roughly three in four. That is why safe storage matters as a prevention step.

The Stigma Barrier

Many people who need help never ask for it. The Department of Defense reports that about 60 to 70% of military personnel with mental health symptoms do not seek care. Stigma and concerns about confidentiality and careers are among the reasons they cite.

Access is improving. Since the Veterans Crisis Line joined 988 in July 2022, it has answered more than 1.6 million calls (VA, July 2024).

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PTSD Among Veterans

PTSD affects some veterans more than others. The VA's National Center for PTSD reports that 11 to 20 out of every 100 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have PTSD in a given year. About 13% of female veterans and 6% of male veterans have current PTSD. PTSD is treatable.

Food Insecurity and Suicide Risk

Basic needs matter. In a national study of post-9/11 veterans, those who reported food insecurity were nearly four times as likely to report suicidal thoughts a year later: 39% compared with 10%. The researchers describe food insecurity as a risk marker and a chance to step in early. It shows an association, not a cause.

Where Fitness Fits In

Exercise is not a treatment for suicidal thoughts or PTSD. The evidence here is early. In 2023, the Army shared data on units that adopted its Holistic Health and Fitness program. Those units saw about 37% fewer suicides while units without it saw a similar rise. The program includes behavioral health professionals, dietitians, and chaplains as well as exercise coaches. Army officials said the data still needs review. It covers active-duty soldiers, not veterans.

What it points to is support working as a whole, not any one workout.

How You Can Help

  • Reach out. If you know a veteran who seems withdrawn, ask directly how they're doing and listen.
  • Share the number. 988, then press 1. Text 838255.
  • Ask about safe storage. Securing firearms at home is one of the most concrete steps a family can take.
  • Support veteran organizations and better access to care.

At Riseabove, we believe no one should carry their story alone.

DK

Dan Korte

Founder of Riseabove, and Living Proof that hope is stronger than hardship. After a cancer diagnosis and a broken engagement, Dan chose to rise instead of stay down, and writes about the fitness, recovery, and everyday choices that make you stronger.

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