Veterans Day is a chance to thank those who have served our nation, but it’s also a chance to reflect on what we owe them.

In 2022, there were more than 16 million people who had served in the U.S. Armed Forces, according to Census Bureau statistics. And while suicide is a nationwide crisis, it hits veterans even harder.

According to the Veterans Administration, veterans are more than 57 percent more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans.

In its 2018 plan to reduce veteran suicides, the VA offered insight into why that might be.

“Veterans may possess unique protective factors related to their service, such as resilience or a strong sense of belonging to a unit,” the report stated. “They may also possess risk factors related to their military service, such as service-related injury or a recent transition from military service to civilian life.“

Up to 30% of veterans experience PTSD after returning from combat, and up to 10% struggle with substance abuse, according to the nonprofit Stop Soldier Suicide.

Risk factors don’t stop there. About 39,000 veterans are unhoused, or nearly 9% of the total of those experiencing homelessness in the United States.

There have been some signs of progress. For 2020, the latest year for which data is available, there were an average of 16.8 veteran suicides each day, down from 18.6 per day on average in 2018.

Programs like the VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide have clearly made a difference, but there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done.

In addition to any way you choose to honor veterans for Veterans Day, there is something else you can do: Reach out to your elected officials and urge them to push for more funding to ensure the mental health and safety of the men and women who served our country.

If you’re a veteran and are struggling with thoughts of suicide, there is help available. You can call 988 and dial 1, visit VeteransCrisisLine.net/chat or text 838255.

— JK