A panel of five experts issued guidelines and suggestions for the Department of Veterans Affairs to follow, aimed at stemming the recent increase in the suicide rate among veterans. The panel, assembled at the request of VA Secretary James Peake, urged the VA to:
* Design a study to identify suicide risks among veterans by age, gender, service branch, and other areas;
* Improve screening for depression and PTSD;
* Make sure that care providers and patients alike are aware of possible adverse effects of certain medications;
* Protect the confidentiality of patients’ records;
* Bolster suicide-prevention research;
* Produce suicide-prevention material for families and community groups;
* Increase suicide-prevention training for VA chaplains, and;
* Develop a gun-safety program for veterans with children at home.
