The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released its National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, providing an analysis of veteran suicide data from 2001 to 2023. According to the report, there were 6,398 suicides among veterans in 2023, a slight decrease from 6,442 in 2022. The average number of veteran suicides per day also dropped marginally from 17.6 in 2022 to 17.5 in 2023.
The report highlights that 61% of veterans who died by suicide in 2023 had not received VA health care during the last year of their lives. The suicide rate per 100,000 veterans increased for both men and women; the rate for women rose from 13.7 to 13.9, while for men it went up from 37.3 to 37.8.
Younger veterans aged between 18 and 34 years and those experiencing homelessness or health problems were found to be at higher risk. Pain was identified as the most common risk factor among veterans who died by suicide between 2021 and 2023.
Suicide prevention remains the VA’s top clinical priority, with all VA health care facilities offering same-day emergency mental health care access for veterans in need. Under President Trump and Secretary Collins, the department is reviewing its suicide prevention programs to assess their effectiveness and make necessary improvements.
Several initiatives have been introduced since January 2025 as part of these efforts:
- A new outreach campaign has resulted in more than 33,000 previously unenrolled veterans signing up for VA care.
- In February 2025, the VA partnered with civilian health care providers through the Veterans Interoperability Pledge to identify at-risk veterans and connect them with services; this led to identifying and contacting about 140,000 at-risk individuals.
- In May 2025, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Department of War to improve support for service members transitioning out of active duty.
- For the first time, the VA is tracking how effective staff and partners are at enrolling veterans into care.
Other ongoing efforts include:
- In fiscal year 2025, there were approximately 1.3 million contacts made through calls, chats, or texts via the Veterans Crisis Line—a nearly 39% increase over the previous year—with a reported satisfaction rate among users of 97%.
- Expansion continues on suicide prevention training for both VA staff and community healthcare professionals.
- Since launching RISK ID screening in 2018 under President Trump’s administration, more than 5.3 million screenings were completed in calendar year 2025—about 200,000 more than in 2024.
- The Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grants Program has awarded grants since 2022 to support community organizations nationwide; together they have made over 24,400 referrals for support services including emergency connections for high-risk individuals.
- In May 2025 another $52 million was announced for grants under this program.
In November last year, VA reported housing its largest number of homeless veterans in seven years—a development seen as important because homelessness is a major risk factor associated with veteran suicide.
"Veteran suicide has been a scourge on our nation for far too long," said VA Secretary Doug Collins. "Most Veterans who die by suicide were not in recent VA care, so making it easier for those who have worn the uniform to access the VA benefits they have earned is key. Under President Trump, we are totally revamping the department’s approach to suicide prevention, with new leadership, a fresh focus on reaching those who need our help and — for the first time in VA history — a serious effort to track the efficacy of the hundreds of millions the department spends per year in this area to ensure we have real solutions, not just rhetoric."
