Enemy Within: Preventing Suicides by Veterans & Members of the Armed Forces

Over 1.9 million warriors have deployed for Operation Iraq Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, two of our Nation’s longest conflicts. The physical and psychological demands on both the deployed and non-deployed warriors are enormous. In the 5 years from 2005-2009, more than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces took their own lives, an average of 1 suicide every 36 hours. This book examines suicide prevention efforts of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) with a focus on suicide surveillance; suicide risk and protective factors; and suicide prevention interventions.