This week is National Suicide Prevention Week, an important moment to recognize the mental health challenges so many of our current and former service members are facing.
Tragically, suicide rates among active-duty service members and veterans have risen dramatically in recent years. Service members are four times more likely to die by suicide than in conflict. Many of the realities of a service member’s day-to-day life, such as time away from their loved ones, dangerous conditions, an uncertain future, isolation and stress, are factors that we know can contribute to depression and thoughts of suicide.
This is a serious problem and not one that can be easily fixed — but by acknowledging it and continuing to do everything we can to support our service members, we can make a difference. Supporting service members’ mental health is at the heart of everything we do at the USO — from building a community to show them they are not alone to creating programs that help them handle and cope with deployment, PTSD, financial management and other challenges.
These are just a few ways the USO, with this community’s support, is working to help address the mental health issues facing the members of our military:
● Having a safe, supportive environment plays a key role in suicide prevention. USO Centers are strategically located in airports and military installations all around the world to give our service members a welcoming space to use however they’d like — from mentally regrouping to calling loved ones to just being themselves — no matter where their service takes them.
● Isolation is known to be a key contributor to depressive and suicidal thoughts. Programs like USO Operation Phone Home® and the Bob Hope Legacy Reading Program keep service members connected to their loved ones no matter where they are in the world.
● Our USO Warrior and Family Centers offer therapeutic activities tailored to service members recovering from physical injuries, PTSD and other ailments. Classes in art, music, yoga and cooking have been proven to help service members express themselves and reduce anxiety.
Together, we will continue developing programs and services to support our heroes through every step of their military journey. Thank you for being a part of this community of dedicated military supporters, today and always.
Christopher Plamp, USO
United Servicemen’s Organization
http://www.uso.org
This is National Suicide Prevention Week: The Life You Save May Be Your Own
