Phoenix resident Michael Rolack holds a photo of his grandson Nick, a Marine who committed suicide after returning from Iraq. Photo courtesy of the Arizona Republic.

In order to ease the rising suicide rate among active duty military personnel and veterans, mental health professionals and others must show empathy and be nonjudgmental, social worker David Klein said in this Arizona Republic article.

Klein is the suicide-prevention coordinator for the VA Health Care System in Phoenix.

“You don’t want anything to sound rote. You want to show empathy and concern, not like you’re reading something,”  he said. “You don’t tell them, ‘Suck it up, Marine.’ This is the worst thing that has happened to this veteran.”

Experts say a number of factors have led to rising suicide rates, including job loss after returning from duty, relationship and money problems, drug use and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The number of veteran suicides rose to 22 per day from 20 per day between 2000 and 2010, according to a recent U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report. Almost one active duty soldier committed suicide each day in 2012, up from 301 in 2011, the Department of Veterans Affairs said.

The National Association of Social Workers is committed to supporting the health and welfare of the our veterans and their families. Professional social workers can find resources to help veterans by visiting the NASW “Social Work with Veterans and Military Families” website. And consumers can learn more about the services social workers provide veterans and their families by visiting NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Veterans Affairs website.