DOD and VA health care: suicide prevention efforts and recommendations for improvement : testimony before the Subcommittee on National Security, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives

DOD and VA health care: suicide prevention efforts and recommendations for improvement : testimony before the Subcommittee on National Security, Committee on Oversight and Reform, House of Representatives

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Contributor(s):
United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Oversight and Reform. Subcommittee on National Security, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, November 17, 2021
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Government Regulation
Suicide -- statistics & numerical data
Veterans Health Services -- organization & administration
United States
United States. Department of Defense
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Why GAO did this study. In its Annual Suicide Report, DOD reported that the suicide rate for active-duty servicemembers increased over the past 6 years, reaching 28.7 per 100,000 individuals in 2020. VA has also reported rising rates of suicides among veterans, totaling 31.6 per 100,000 individuals in 2019. This rate of suicides was almost two times higher for veterans than non-veterans. DOD and VA have taken steps to help prevent suicides among servicemembers and veterans. For example, DOD and VA both established suicide prevention strategies and created offices to oversee their suicide prevention efforts. Additionally, VA has identified suicide prevention as its highest clinical priority in its strategic plan for fiscal years 2018 through 2024. This statement describes GAO’s recent work examining DOD and VA suicide prevention efforts, including recommendations GAO made on (1) DOD’s efforts to assess its non-clinical suicide prevention efforts and report data on suicides; (2) VA’s use of and staffing for suicide prevention teams; and (3) VA’s collection and analysis of data on suicides that occur on its campuses. This statement is primarily based on three GAO reports issued between September 2020 and April 2021 (GAO20-664, GAO-21-300, and GAO-21- 326). GAO also reviewed documents from DOD and VA related to initial steps the agencies have taken to address GAO’s recommendations.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (14 pages))
NLM Unique ID:
9918383084606676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918383084606676