2021 National Veteran suicide prevention: Annual report

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2021 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report shows the overall
Veteran suicide count and rate decreased in 2019 from 2018 and from 2017.
The data within the report is notable because:
• It provides information from 2001 through 2019, while recent prior reports included data from 2005 forward.
• This update includes the most current data and applies methodologic enhancements, resulting in the most comprehensive assessment to date of Veteran suicide mortality, for the years 2001-2019.2 The report represents and communicates a “whole of VA” approach to suicide prevention that integrates strategic planning, program operations, and program evaluation across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), and the National Cemetery Administration. The report represents and communicates a “whole of government” approach to suicide prevention that integrates strategic planning across federal agencies to facilitate complementary and collaborative prevention, intervention, and postvention approaches tailored to agency specific populations. The report represents and communicates the value of “public/private partnerships” to reinforce and magnify collective and unified engagement of suicide prevention.