Post: Reducing lethal means to suicide

Be the One

News Longtime VA psychologist shares research about veteran suicides and what more can be done to prevent them.

Russell Lemle is a senior policy analyst at the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute who previously worked for 38 years as a psychologist in the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Since retiring, he has heavily focused on the issue of veteran suicide prevention, particularly through reducing access to lethal means.

To further amplify The American Legion’s Be the One mission to prevent veteran suicide, Lemle sat down for an interview. He discussed research relating to firearm suicide, the importance of reducing access to lethal means, and strategies for engaging with firearm-owning veterans on this issue. Additionally, Lemle also addresses the myth that VA confiscates veterans’ firearms and the importance of correcting this misconception.

Lemle, whose father served in Europe during World War II, shared some key facts during the interview, including:

• Firearms account for half of all suicides in the U.S. and 73% of veteran suicide deaths.

• Research shows many suicide attempts are impulsive, with nearly half occurring fewer than 10 minutes after the decision is made. Lemle says reducing access to lethal means can save lives by creating more time and space during a crisis.

• Nearly two-thirds of survivors of suicide attempts never try again. And of those who do, only a small percentage go on to die by suicide, indicating that the intention is often transient.

This question-and-answer has been edited for clarity and brevity: Question: You’ve spent a good part of your career at VA and now with the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. What does working on behalf of veterans mean to you? Answer: It’s deeply, deeply meaningful to me. When I started working for VA in 1981, I quickly discovered there was a moral core to the entire VA health-care system. This is a system that is built to take care of our own — those who served. It’s important because these individuals have stepped up and served and sacrificed on behalf of all of us, and it’s incumbent upon all of us to step up for them. […]

Reducing lethal means to suicide