September is Suicide Prevention Month, an important reminder that people we love need our help. Suicide prevention is a yearlong obligation, but energy and efforts can and should be renewed this month. While Veterans overall face mental health distress and struggle with suicidal ideations for a variety of reasons, research has shown that Women Veterans are particularly vulnerable.
We all can rally together to help.
As friends, communities, and employers, we can reach out, understand, and help in simple ways that make a real difference.
Understanding the Crisis
First, it’s important to understand that the alarming rates of mental health distress and suicide in the Women Veterans population. According to VA’s Suicide Prevention Annual Report in 2023:
- 13% of Women Veterans struggle with PTSD, double that of male Veterans
- 26% of Women Veterans have been diagnosed with depression
- 1 in 3 Women Veterans who use VA care have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
- 20% of Women Veterans who use VA care have reported intimate partner violence
- 350 Women Veterans died by suicide in 2021
- the age-adjusted suicide rate for this population was 166.1% higher than non-Veteran women
- the suicide rate among Women Veterans increased 24.1% between 2020-2021; the suicide rate among male veterans increased 6.3%, and among non-Veteran women increased 2.6%, during the same time period.
Struggles with PTSD, depression, or MST can be compounded by uniquely female experiences, such as childbirth or menopause, making access to quality and compassionate healthcare and mental health care critically important.
However, barriers can stand in the way to easy access. Distance to VA clinics, access to safe and affordable childcare, obligations to work, and even a sense of stigma or isolation can prevent some Women Veterans from getting potentially life-saving care.
Pathways to Prevention
Recent studies have shown that peer-to-peer support and access to childcare make a significant difference in Women Veterans’ post-military experience, preventing the increase of mental health distress and the development of suicidal ideations.
Peer-to-peer connections deliver the combination of social, emotional, and practical care that most Women Veterans crave. Within those peer groups, Women Veterans feel seen, heard, and understood. Empathy and compassion weave together a strong fabric, providing an extra sense of security and reassurance during hard times.
Similarly, access to safe and affordable childcare prevents increasing levels of stress that can lead to suicide. Reports have shown that access to childcare increases Women Veterans’ financial security, as it enables them to avoid employment interruptions.
Access to childcare is also linked to healthcare. Studies show that when Women Veterans don’t have access to quality childcare, they are less likely to attend regular medical appointments or seek additional medical and mental health appointments when they are struggling.
According to studies, 75% of Veterans need childcare to attend healthcare appointments, and 73% face barriers in finding suitable childcare. The distance to VA facilities often exacerbates this issue, making it difficult for Women Veterans to manage their healthcare needs without reliable childcare.
What You Can Do
The Women who served our country put themselves in harm’s way to protect all of us. It’s our moral obligation to stand up for them, against the harm of mental health distress and suicide. And we all can do something.
Individuals, communities, and employers each have opportunities to add layers of support, which provide compassion, establish connections, and increase opportunities to access essential care and resources.
As Individuals
You can help Women Veterans in a number of ways. Before you doubt that your single act of service will make an impact, let us remind you that most major organizations, corporations, and global service efforts developed because one person had an idea.
You can be the pebble that causes a million ripples in the water.
Simply by being a friend, a confidante, or an advocate, you can increase Women Veterans’ experience of a supportive network. You can help strengthen the fabric of support that will catch her if she falters. You can:
- Call her
- Offer to watch her kids
- Invite her for coffee
- Introduce her to another Woman Veteran
- Write a letter to your congressperson
- Volunteer for Women Veterans’ organizations
- Donate funds or supplies to Women Veterans’ organizations
As Communities
Communities can rally together to show recognition and honor for Women Veterans. Often, Women Veterans struggle with deep-seated loneliness and isolation. Many report that they don’t feel seen, heard, or recognized in their communities because the general public assumes that “Veteran” equals “Man.”
Communities can put the spotlight on Women Veterans in ways that honor their service and weave together a network of support. Doing so can provide a sense of belonging and prevent feelings of loneliness and social isolation that can lead to severe mental health distress. Communities can:
- Organize events for Women Veterans’ Day
- Create a Women Veterans group within the local Chamber of Commerce
- Partner with local businesses to develop recruiting and hiring programs for Women Veterans
- Increase availability and cost-saving options for local childcare
- Partner with National organizations to bring specific programs or events for Women Veterans to your municipality
- Raise funds to support local charities that serve Women Veterans
As Employers
All companies, large and small, can cultivate a culture that equips Women Veterans with the resources and opportunities they need to overcome challenges, access care, and provide for themselves and their families. Doing so reduces or eliminates barriers to healthcare and relieves tremendous stressors related to childcare. As a result, these efforts help stymie the mental health crisis in the Women Veterans’ community.
Employers can:
- Provide hybrid work options to allow for easy work-at-home adaptation when children are home sick or childcare is unavailable.
- Offer flexible work hours to allow Women Veterans, who are often the sole custodial parent, to drop off or pick up children at school without impacting their work responsibilities.
- Create in-house childcare benefits, such as onsite care, collaboration with preschools or daycare facilities, or subsidies for childcare costs, to ease the financial burdens.
Together, these efforts create a culture of support for Women Veterans. With multiple layers of compassion, connection, fundraising, recognition, honor, career support, childcare access, and healthcare access, this approach alleviates common, serious stressors that lead to mental health distress or suicidal ideations.
WVIF’s Approach
WVIF has been on the ground and at the forefront of suicide prevention for Women Veterans for over a decade. As a member of Face the Fight, WVIF proactively implements programs and relief efforts that directly impact Women Veterans’ access to healthcare, peer-to-peer support, and access to relief efforts that ensure continued care and security for families. Our programs and services provide:
- A comprehensive system of support
- Access to VA benefits and healthcare
- Education
- Professional empowerment
- Connection to a community who cares
- Crisis relief to maintain safe housing for families
Practical, direct services, coupled with empowering and community-focused events, give Women Veterans access to peer-to-peer support and provide the multi-layered fabric of a compassionate network. WVIF’s initiatives include our membership program and local chapters, which enhance programs like Operation Safety Net, the National Women Veterans Pink and White Empowerment Summit, and the National Women Veterans Leadership and Diversity Conference.
Take Action During Suicide Prevention Month
Preventing mental health distress and suicide is a yearlong commitment at WVIF. But this month, we invite you to join our efforts to eliminate this crisis.
Please, help us help the women who have served and sacrificed for our country.
- Connect: Call your friend
- Spread the Word: Share this post
- Support: Volunteer or give to Women Veterans organizations
- Get Help: if you or someone you know is experiencing severe mental health distress or suicidal ideations, call the Veterans Crisis Line. Dial 988 and Press 1. Free, confidential support is available 24/7.