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I wrote this for my community nursing class blog and thought I'd might as well post it here too! Enjoy!
Everyday military veterans struggle with symptoms caused by their various deployments. These disorders, such as PTSD, have been brought to light through media attention and health care organizations; and fortunately, many of these veterans are getting the care they need to live healthy lives, free from pain. However, there is an immense group of people that has been overlooked: these are the military family members including spouses, children, siblings, and parents. They are all at extreme risk of financial and emotional burdens, grief, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Yet, until recently, no one has tracked the number of military family suicides.
Everyday military veterans struggle with symptoms caused by their various deployments. These disorders, such as PTSD, have been brought to light through media attention and health care organizations; and fortunately, many of these veterans are getting the care they need to live healthy lives, free from pain. However, there is an immense group of people that has been overlooked: these are the military family members including spouses, children, siblings, and parents. They are all at extreme risk of financial and emotional burdens, grief, depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Yet, until recently, no one has tracked the number of military family suicides.
In an interview with various military family members, CNN found that dozens of the interviewee's had either attempted suicide, contemplated it or knew others who had killed themselves. One military wife explained that when she talked with leaders at a Defense Department meeting, they told her that there were too many family members attempting suicide to keep track of.
Many family members feel intense shame because of their emotional struggles. They worry about threatening their loved one's job, or feel guilty because their loved ones are going through worse situations than them (CNN, 2014). To top it off, the health care resources available for military families has been found to be difficult to receive as well as insensitive, condescending and dismissive.
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Last year, the organization, Blue Star Families, assembled The 2013 Military Families Lifestyle Survey which found that over 9% of 5,100 military family respondents had considered suicide. The survey recommended that the Department of Defense monitor and track military family suicide in order to examine the problem and identify needs (2013 Military Families Lifestyle Survey, 2013). Finally a few weeks ago, after years of fighting for awareness, there was confirmation that the Defense Department released a report to Congress outlining their plan to track military family suicides. In their report, Suicide and Military Families: A Report on the Feasibility of Tracking Deaths by Suicide among Military Family Members , they explain that they "do not have the ability to investigate, monitor, or receive notification of military family member deaths." Therefore, their goal is to work with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to collect and analyze data. They expect the project to take about a year; yet they warn that they can never be confident about having a complete picture of military family suicides, because of numerous complicated factors (Pentagon Evaluates Tracking Family Suicides, 2014).
As family and friend to many military members and their families, I find this topic to be extremely distressing. What can we do, as nurses in our communities, to stand up for these often overlooked military families?
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As public health nurses, one of our main priorities is to stay up-to-date on government policies, changes, and reports. We need to use our voices to affirm the importance of suicide prevention for everyone, especially those at highest risk. We need to care for our patients with absolutely no judgement, insensitivity or harshness - no matter who they are or what they are struggling with. We must create open environments where patients feel safe talking about their issues and feelings. Finally, we must educate the community on suicide prevention and initiate groups to assist military family members.
Let's make a difference as nurses, and combat suicide together.
