Panel Completes Report on Suicide Prevention

Week of September 22, 2008

The five-member Blue Ribbon Work Group on Suicide Prevention created by Secretary of Veterans Affairs  Dr. James B. Peake in May issued its draft report, which includes recommendations that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (1) design a study that will identify suicide risk among veterans; (2) improve its screening for suicide among veterans with depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); (3) devise a policy for protecting the confidential records of VA patients who may also be treated by the military's health care system; (4) increase research about suicide prevention; and (5) increase training for VA chaplains about the warning signs of suicide. The entire report is available in PDF format.

More information and resources on PTSD.