Small team makes big impacts in fight against suicide
Firearm injury was the leading cause of Veteran suicide in 2020, according to VA’s 2022 National Suicide Prevention Annual Report.
One small but mighty team is looking to change that.
The suicide prevention team at Tennessee Valley Healthcare System has spent countless hours handing out gun locks and spreading awareness. From the rolling hills of Chattanooga to the busy streets of Nashville, the group is making sure people know suicide is preventable.
"Often times, a suicidal crisis is time-limited, so adding time and space between the impulse to act and the action is critical," Lesley Murray, TVHS Suicide Prevention Program Manager said.
In Tennessee, there were 182 Veteran suicides in 2020, and firearm injury accounted for 76.9% of those deaths. Among U.S. adults who died from suicide in 2020, firearms were more commonly involved among Veterans (71.0%) than non-Veterans (50.3%) per VA's 2022 report.
Murray said gun locks are an effective method to prevent suicide because it delays the action from happening. The suicide prevention program handed out 1,175 gun locks in just three days to Veterans at their first-ever Firearm Safety Day.
"Our goal is to go into the community, educate Veterans, and encourage them to take a gun lock for themselves, a friend, or another Veteran they may know who owns a gun. Whatever we can do to prevent it from happening," Murray said.
The Firearm Safety Day was held at the Alvin C. York, Chattanooga, Clarksville, and Nashville campuses earlier in the month. The team and TVHS Deputy Executive Director Michael Renfrow also attended the Clarksville Spartan Pledge and Hope is Available event hosted by Nashville Metro Public Health. They're expected to attend several more Suicide Prevention Month events throughout the state.
Call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline if you’re experiencing a mental health crisis. Call 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.