Veterans mental health at a glance
Veterans carry a higher risk of suicide than other American adults, and mental health care is one of the largest parts of the Department of Veterans Affairs health system. According to the VA National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report published in 2026, 6,488 veterans died by suicide in 2024, an average of 17.7 per day. That was 174 fewer than in 2023. The unadjusted suicide rate among veterans was 36.4 per 100,000, more than twice the rate of 16.4 among non-veteran adults.
The VA treats a growing share of veterans for mental health and substance use conditions. In 2024, 6.27 million veterans were recent users of the Veterans Health Administration, up from 3.86 million in 2001, even though the total veteran population fell from 25.9 million to 17.8 million. Of these VHA users, 48.2 percent had a mental health or substance use diagnosis, compared with 27.8 percent in 2001. VA mental health funding reached $16.7 billion in fiscal year 2025.
This report covers veteran suicide trends, rates by sex and age, the role of VA care, telehealth and community care, spending, and survey data on mental illness among veterans. How veterans compare with the general population is shown in our hub on mental health treatment in the US. Figures on the military itself are in our report on the armed forces of the United States.
- The Veterans Crisis Line is reached by dialing 988 and pressing 1, by texting 838255, or by online chat.
- The line is open to veterans, service members and their families, whether or not they are enrolled in VA care.
Veteran suicides since 2001
The number of veteran suicides rose from 6,289 in 2001 to a peak of 7,015 in 2018, then fell back to 6,488 in 2024. Because the veteran population has been shrinking, the rate has risen much faster than the count: from 24.3 per 100,000 in 2001 to 36.6 in 2023 and 36.4 in 2024. Over the whole period from 2001 to 2024, 159,980 veterans died by suicide, about one in six of all adult suicides in the US.
Down from the 2018 peak: 6,488 veterans died by suicide in 2024, the lowest count since 2006.
Rising rate: The veteran suicide rate climbed by half since 2001 as the veteran population shrank.
Firearms were involved in 74.3 percent of veteran suicides in 2024: 75.4 percent among men and 51.9 percent among women. In 2023, the share was 73.3 percent, according to the 2025 edition of the report.
Who is most at risk?
The gap between veterans and non-veterans is largest among women. In 2024, the suicide rate among female veterans was 13.9 per 100,000, compared with 6.7 among non-veteran women. After adjusting for age, female veterans had a suicide rate 99.9 percent higher than non-veteran women. Among men, the rate was 39.2 for veterans and 27.6 for non-veterans, an age-adjusted gap of 56.5 percent.
Twice the risk: Veterans had a suicide rate more than twice that of non-veteran adults in 2024.
Young veterans have the highest rates. In 2024, the suicide rate was 45.5 per 100,000 among veterans aged 18 to 34, 38.5 among those aged 35 to 54, 32.7 among those aged 55 to 74 and 35.8 among those aged 75 and older. Among male veterans aged 18 to 34, it reached 53.0.
Highest among the youngest: Veterans aged 18 to 34 had a suicide rate of 45.5 per 100,000.
The role of VA health care
Most veterans who die by suicide were not recent VA patients. In 2024, 62.2 percent of veteran suicide decedents, 4,038 people, had not used VHA care in 2023 or 2024. The remaining 37.8 percent, 2,450 people, had. The suicide rate among recent VHA users was 39.1 per 100,000, compared with 35.1 among other veterans, reflecting the higher level of illness among people who seek VA care.
Six in ten outside VA care: 4,038 of the 6,488 veterans who died by suicide in 2024 were not recent VHA patients.
At the same time, a growing share of veterans rely on the VA. Recent VHA users rose from 3.86 million in 2001 to 6.27 million in 2024. Nearly half of them, 48.2 percent, had a mental health or substance use diagnosis in 2024, up from 46.1 percent in 2023 and 27.8 percent in 2001. In total, the VA had 7.3 million unique patients in fiscal year 2024, many of them treated in the settings described in our report on mental health treatment facilities. Substance use among veterans is covered in our report on drug use in the US.
More patients, fewer veterans: VHA users rose by 2.4 million while the veteran population fell by 8.1 million.
Telehealth, the crisis line and community care
Video visits have become a regular part of VA mental health care. According to the VA Clinical Services 2024 annual report, more than 1.1 million veterans received 6.5 million video telemental health episodes in fiscal year 2024, a 10 percent increase in veterans served from the year before. In fiscal year 2023, video accounted for about a third of all VA mental health visits.
The Veterans Crisis Line handled 1.1 million calls, texts and chats in fiscal year 2024 and 1.3 million in fiscal year 2025, according to the VA. The VA also carried out more than 5.3 million suicide risk screenings in calendar year 2025. When VA facilities cannot provide care in time, veterans can be referred to private providers. According to the Government Accountability Office, more than 350,000 veterans received 602,472 community care referrals for behavioral health in fiscal years 2021 to 2024, at a cost of $4.29 billion. About 60 percent of the referrals were for outpatient psychotherapy. The wider shortage of providers is covered in our report on the mental health workforce.
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Veterans using video telemental health | More than 1.1 million | FY 2024 |
| Video telemental health episodes | 6.5 million | FY 2024 |
| Veterans Crisis Line contacts | 1.1 million | FY 2024 |
| Veterans Crisis Line contacts | 1.3 million | FY 2025 |
| Suicide risk screenings | More than 5.3 million | 2025 |
| Behavioral health community care referrals | 602,472 | FY 2021 to 2024 |
| Cost of those referrals | $4.29 billion | FY 2021 to 2024 |
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VA mental health spending
Mental health care is one of the fastest growing parts of the VA budget. According to the VA Budget in Brief for fiscal year 2026, mental health care funding was $15.69 billion in fiscal year 2024 and $16.73 billion in fiscal year 2025. The request for 2026 is $18.89 billion, and the advance request for 2027 is $19.53 billion. Funding for suicide prevention outreach rises from $560 million in 2024 to a requested $713 million in 2027.
Approaching $20 billion: VA mental health funding is set to rise by a quarter between 2024 and 2027.
Mental illness among veterans
Survey data from SAMHSA show that veterans are about as likely as non-veterans to have a mental illness or a substance use disorder, and those with a mental illness are about as likely to receive treatment, in line with the patterns in our report on adults receiving mental health treatment. In the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than half of veterans with any mental illness in each age group had received treatment in the past year, and 1.0 million veterans, 5.3 percent, had both a mental illness and a substance use disorder. Combat experience matters: in pooled data for 2022 to 2024, 21.3 percent of veterans who served in a combat zone had a mental illness and 6.4 percent a serious mental illness, both significantly higher than among other veterans. The national treatment gap is covered in our report on untreated mental illness, and differences between groups in our report on mental health treatment disparities.
Veterans mental health in numbers
- 6,488 veterans died by suicide in 2024, 17.7 per day, down from 7,015 in 2018.
- The veteran suicide rate was 36.4 per 100,000 in 2024, compared with 16.4 for non-veteran adults.
- Female veterans had an age-adjusted suicide rate 99.9 percent higher than non-veteran women.
- 62.2 percent of veteran suicide decedents had no recent VHA care.
- 48.2 percent of the 6.27 million recent VHA users had a mental health or substance use diagnosis in 2024.
- VA mental health funding was $16.73 billion in FY 2025, with $18.89 billion requested for FY 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 2024, an average of 17.7 veterans died by suicide each day, 6,488 in total, according to the VA.
Yes. The unadjusted rate was 36.4 per 100,000 for veterans in 2024 and 16.4 for non-veteran adults.
Yes. After adjusting for age, female veterans had a suicide rate 99.9 percent higher than non-veteran women in 2024.
No. 62.2 percent of veterans who died by suicide in 2024 had not used VHA care in 2023 or 2024.
48.2 percent of the 6.27 million recent VHA users had a mental health or substance use diagnosis in 2024.
VA mental health care funding was $15.69 billion in FY 2024 and $16.73 billion in FY 2025. The FY 2026 request is $18.89 billion.
By dialing 988 and pressing 1, texting 838255 or using online chat. The line handled 1.3 million contacts in FY 2025.
Yes. More than 1.1 million veterans received 6.5 million video telemental health episodes from the VA in FY 2024.
US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA News - Crisis Line and screening figures, 2025.
US Department of Veterans Affairs - National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report 2026.
US Department of Veterans Affairs - Suicide prevention data and reports.
US Department of Veterans Affairs - FY 2026 Budget in Brief.
US Department of Veterans Affairs - Clinical Services 2024 annual report.
US Department of Veterans Affairs - National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report 2025, part 2.
US Government Accountability Office - GAO-26-108799, community care behavioral health referrals.
SAMHSA - NSDUH data spotlight on veterans, 2022 to 2024.
SAMHSA - 2023 NSDUH veteran population slides.