Suicide within the military veteran community is a serious and complex issue because of the wide range of unique factors that could lead an individual to engage in self-harm. To help create more effective programs for preventing suicide among veterans, The Warrior Alliance is contributing to a new research initiative called Operation Deep Dive.
America’s Warrior Partnership, a national nonprofit that supports the center’s services, is conducting the project in partnership with University of Alabama researchers and the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. Operation Deep Dive will be the first study of its kind to examine the impact of local communities on veteran well-being, which is a factor that most studies in the past have generalized. Over the next four years, researchers will work alongside The Warrior Alliance to interview local medical examiners and coroners, veterans, military families and other community leaders to help determine the different cultural and geographical elements unique to the region that may affect the likelihood of suicide.
The results of Operation Deep Dive will complement the national conversation around veteran suicides by providing this essential perspective from local communities. To learn more about the study, click here to access a detailed fact sheet.
