{"id":7811,"date":"2025-08-21T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7811"},"modified":"2025-08-21T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T14:30:00","slug":"reducing-suicide-risk-for-rural-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7811","title":{"rendered":"Reducing suicide risk for rural Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-08-21T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

When you think about rural living, you may picture quiet mornings, wide-open spaces, friendly neighbors and a slower pace of life.<\/p>\n

But just because rural life seems peaceful doesn\u2019t mean it has no challenges. People in rural communities, including Veterans, die by suicide at higher rates than people in cities.<\/p>\n

Why? Rural areas tend to have higher suicide risk factors, like greater access to lethal means, higher economic distress, lower quality of health care and remoteness that can lead to feelings of isolation.<\/p>\n

None of these things mean a suicide crisis will happen. But because nearly five million rural Veterans are at higher risk, VA is working to make access to care easier. And we\u2019re raising awareness about lethal means safety to make sure rural <\/a>Veterans know how to create secure home environments.<\/p>\n

Breaking down barriers to care<\/h2>\n

Veterans live in rural communities for many reasons, including more privacy, lower cost of living, and less crowded towns and schools.\u00a0One thing they may lack, though, is easy access to high-quality health care.<\/p>\n

VA\u2019s Telehealth Services<\/a> ensure you can find care when and where you need it. Here\u2019s how it works:<\/p>\n