Advocates in Northern Kentucky are coming together to spread awareness about National Suicide Prevention Month and the massive toll suicide takes on veterans and their families.
The Northern Kentucky Service Members, Veterans, and Families Suicide Prevention Coalition reports that veterans are at a 57% higher risk of suicide than the general public. Their data reported that 22 veterans die each day to suicide, with approximately 660 veterans lost every month.
The advocacy group also reported an estimated 135 people are impacted by one person dying from suicide.
To remember those lost and push for solutions, the coalition — along with local leaders, veterans and families affected by a service member’s suicide — placed 660 flags by the base of the Roebling Suspension Bridge in Covington.
Veteran Doug Witt, a member of the coalition and a peer support specialist at NorthKey Community Care, works directly with veterans struggling with thoughts of suicide and mental health issues.
“When you tell somebody that you’ve been where they’ve been — the depths of despair, they realize they’re not alone,” Witt said.