Always important to keep some perspective on this “new” crisis.
The “old” annual suicide rate was 1 per 10,000. The new suicide rate is 1 per 7,200.
Tragic? Of course - for the victim and the family.
Common? No. It’s rare, even when you include failed suicide attempts.
For suicide among healthy adults, there are typically three categories...
(1) Schizophrenia or Clinical Depression
(2) Alcohol or drug addiction.
(3) Family history of suicide.
For adolescents and teens - suicide is usually impulsive, and often follows a very emotional event.
For the elderly - suicide usually follows the death of a spouse or close companion, or, an intractable illness or disability.
In fact, youths in general 19-30 are more prone to suicide and a large number of vets fall in that age group. So, while there may be larger numbers of vets they are also representative of their peer group.
The other end of the spectrum, geriatrics are now also more prone for suicide as they approach natural end of life conditions. Since most males in those generations served they also can be classified as "troubled veterans" if some analyst choses to list them that way.
I think the increase in suicides is due to broken homes and single parent households. Im not putting single mothers down. I just know that two biological parents are usually much more supportive and protective.
I think this is more of the story than is admitted to:
People feel like they should be getting ahead, but as it gets harder just to stay in place eventually they give up.