Mental Health Crisis: VA Struggles to Meet Demand for Help

The Veterans Crisis Line received a record number of calls, texts, and chats in March 2022, with over 88,000 contacts, according to new federal data. The number of annual contacts increased 15% from 2020 to 2022, with no particular data to explain the increases. Many veterans believe the surge is directly related to the troubled end of the 20-year conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, which they fought simultaneously and without a draft, meaning they were deployed more than any other generation and for longer. The lack of data on post-9/11 veteran suicides makes it difficult to find effective solutions.