On Veterans Day, Newt honors those who have served by addressing a hard fact: in 2023, 6,398 veterans died by suicide, more than 17 every day. Of those, 61% had not received VA healthcare in the year before their death. Dr. Eran Magen, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, believes one of the most effective ways to reach veterans in crisis is to contact them before they ask for help. His free program, Early Alert, now sends a weekly check-in text to more than 13,000 veterans. Newt talks with Dr. Magen about why veterans face such elevated suicide risk, how isolation and the transition to civilian life contribute to that risk, how Early Alert works, and what any of us can do if we’re worried about a veteran we love.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
