Covid-19 Shutdowns Potentially Linked to a String of Veteran Suicides
November 11, 2020
Since the beginning of the March 2020 shutdowns to help slow the spread of COVID-19, many have worried about the unintended side effects on people’s mental health. Veterans especially could be vulnerable to the isolation that comes along with quarantine. This could have played a role in at least three recent veteran suicides.
All three of the men who took their own lives had lost limbs while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Servicemembers who have had an amputation have significantly higher rates of depression and anxiety. The surviving family members of the men all suspect that the lockdowns could have contributed to their deaths.
Marine Corps veteran Rory Hamill lost his leg to a pressure plate bomb during his second Afghanistan tour. He became a motivational speaker and veteran advocate with a large social media following. Army veteran Andy McCaffrey lost his arm below the elbow to a grenade and became the first service member to return to combat after an amputation. He went on to compete in Paralympic games. Army veteran Brent Hendrix lost his leg above the knee to an IED in Iraq in 2006. All three men died by suicide within only four months of one another after lockdowns began.
COVID-19 restrictions abruptly ended their social and professional engagements. Their family members describe how the men changed after the lockdown began and how their feelings of isolation and loss exacerbated existing depression and anxiety.
It is unclear if the men knew one another, but they all received care during the long recovery process after their amputations at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Due to the length of time, an amputee typically spends in rehabilitation, sometimes years, the physicians, therapists and other care providers become very close to their patients. This community is trying to make sense of these losses to prevent others from taking their lives too.
While there is not yet enough information to determine if lockdowns have contributed to a rise in veteran suicide rates overall, experts are worried.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). The Crisis Text Line is also available 24/7 to people in crisis. Send a text to 741741 for free and confidential support.