PRINTER'S NO. 2044
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE RESOLUTION
No.
440
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY AUMENT, VULAKOVICH, BREWSTER, BARTOLOTTA,
LANGERHOLC, BROOKS, FONTANA, EICHELBERGER, GREENLEAF, STREET,
DINNIMAN, SCHWANK, MARTIN, BAKER, MENSCH, SABATINA, BROWNE,
KILLION, RAFFERTY, WHITE AND FOLMER, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
INTRODUCED AND ADOPTED, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Designating the month of September 2018 as "Military Suicide
Prevention and Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Current studies confirm a high suicide rate among
veterans; and
WHEREAS, Though veterans make up less than 9% of the United
States population, veterans accounted for 14.3% of all suicides
in America in 2015; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, an average of 20.6 veterans lost their
lives as a result of suicide each day; and
WHEREAS, Roughly 59% of all veteran suicides in 2015 were
individuals 55 years of age or older; and
WHEREAS, Among male veterans, the largest number of lives
lost to suicide occurs in middle-aged males 55 to 74 years of
age, while the highest rates of civilian suicide are among the
youngest males 18 to 34 years of age; and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the rate of suicide among veteran males was
31.1 per 100,000, and from 2005 to 2015, the rate of suicide
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among veteran males increased by 6.2%; and
WHEREAS, Among female veterans, the highest rate of suicide
occurs among the youngest female veterans 18 to 29 years of age;
and
WHEREAS, In 2015, the rate of suicide among veteran females
was 15.3 per 100,000, and from 2005 to 2015, the rate of suicide
among veteran females increased by 5.2%; and
WHEREAS, After adjusting for differences in age and gender,
risk for suicide was 17.1% higher among veterans when compared
with civilian adults; and
WHEREAS, Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs have
responded to the veteran suicide crisis by boosting the
department's mental health personnel and suicide hotline staff
in recent years; and
WHEREAS, Each Veterans' Administration facility has been
asked to commit to "Be There" for veterans through a number of
enhanced methods, including a "no wrong door" philosophy for
suicide prevention to ensure that every Veterans' Administration
employee assists veterans in need and to establish buddy systems
so veterans have someone to reach out to when needed; and
WHEREAS, Communities, peers, close associates and the media
are critical in preventing death by suicide; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Senate designate the month of September
2018 as "Military Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month" in
Pennsylvania; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate urge civilians to help prevent
veteran suicide by learning about the warning signs of
depression and crisis; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate urge the residents of this
Commonwealth to "Be There" for our veterans and learn about ways
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to support veterans in need; and be it further
RESOLVED, That the Senate fully support the bipartisan
actions of the Congress of the United States and the Department
of Veterans Affairs as they continue to work together to improve
the needed support for our veterans; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs in support of
the department's continued efforts to prevent military suicides.
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