VA suicide screening doubles after watchdog found mass failures

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has improved suicide risk screening and follow-up care among veterans in its system after a December 2024 federal watchdog report found staff were failing to complete required suicide risk checks for 40% or more of patients.

As of March 2026, 88% of veterans who received VA care in the prior 12 months had completed an annual suicide risk screen, up from 55% in fiscal year 2023, when VA’s Office of Inspector General found the rate never exceeded 60% in any single month. The OIG attributed the failures to inadequate staff training, missing performance benchmarks and unclear accountability for who was responsible for fixing the problem.

Ninety-six percent of veterans identified as at risk completed a follow-up evaluation within 24 hours as of March 2026, up from 82% in fiscal year 2023. VA said both figures are records since tracking started in 2021.

The improvements come as veteran suicide remains a persistent crisis. In 2023,...