The War Horse: Prof. Hahm Shares Mental Health Expertise about Rising Suicide Rates among Women Veterans
Fueled by a lack of institutional support for the mental health needs of women veterans, the rate of suicides among this group has doubled from 2001 to 2021. Prof. Hyeouk Chris Hahm from BU School of Social Work shared her insights on why it is vital for the military to develop better resources to support women veterans. Her insights were published in The War Horse, a non-profit publication investigating the human cost of military service.
Prof. Hahm has experience in culturally relevant mental health interventions, including those aimed at helping women. She explains that in addition to the fact that the Veteran Affairs (VA) administration does not consider military sexual trauma a suicide risk factor, the rising suicide rates could also be linked to loneliness and pandemic-related stress. These stressors can compound to create unsafe environments for women veterans.
Excerpt from “‘Invisible’–More Women Veterans Are Dying of Suicide and VA Still Lacks Resources, Advocates Say” by Anne Marshall-Chalmers, originally posted in The War Horse:
“Hyeouk Chris Hahm, an associate dean for research at Boston University School of Social Work, said the jump in suicide rates of women veterans is ‘shocking’ because it shows that within VA, ‘there is a lack of systems that (have) been built to protect these lives.’ She added that it’s as if female veterans are ‘invisible.’”