Honoring Every Hero: Supporting the Mental Health of Veterans and Their Caregivers
Originally published in Stars and Stripes
By Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation, and Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation
When Americans think of service members and their sacrifice, we often picture those in uniform. But behind many veterans stands a caregiver: a spouse, parent, partner or even child, whose service continues long after deployment ends.
Together, veterans and caregivers navigate hospital systems, manage medications and face the visible and invisible wounds of war. Both carry the emotional weight of service and the mental health challenges that come with it.
Through our work at the Humana Foundation and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, we’ve met hundreds of veteran families. Their stories differ, but the throughline is clear: devotion marked by fatigue, courage shaped by isolation. Veterans and their caregivers share a bond rooted in service and sacrifice, and their mental health is inextricably intertwined. Supporting one means strengthening both.
There are more than 18 million Americans who have served in the military, and over 6,000 veterans who die by suicide each year — a rate 1.5 times higher than that of non-veterans. For veterans under 45, suicide is the second leading cause of death, and nearly 40% who die by suicide never received a mental health or substance use diagnosis — evidence that too many fall through the cracks. There is no single cause for suicide; the causes are varied and complex. The transition from military to civilian life often brings a loss of structure, purpose and community. Forty-four percent of post-9/11 veterans report difficulty adjusting, and suicide risk triples in the first year after leaving service. Untreated post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, traumatic brain injury deepens the risk, as does easy access to firearms. In 2022, three-quarters of veteran suicides involved firearms, far more than the general population.
The caregivers who stand beside veterans face their own, often invisible, struggles. A Dole Foundation-commissioned RAND Corp. report estimates there are 14.3 million military and veteran caregivers in the United States. Nearly two-thirds of the veterans they support live with a diagnosed mental health condition or substance use disorder, and 43% of caregivers for veterans under 60 experience depression at rates four times higher than non-caregivers.
These caregivers often work around the clock, sacrificing careers and income to provide unpaid labor valued in the hundreds of billions annually — an economic contribution that rarely receives recognition or relief.
Children are affected as well. Roughly four in 10 kids in military and veteran caregiving households help with daily care. Many miss school or struggle with behavioral health challenges, and nearly a quarter have needed but not received mental health support. This next generation is quietly bearing the weight of service as well.
Veterans and caregivers are connected by service, and when one struggles, the other often feels the strain. Recognizing that shared burden is just the first step; true healing also depends on whether families can access meaningful support.
Both veterans and caregivers face persistent barriers to mental health care. Stigma rooted in military culture still equates asking for help with weakness.
Provider shortages — especially in rural communities — make care even harder to find, and affordability adds another layer of difficulty.
Transportation, medical costs and time off from work put treatment out of reach for many already stretched thin.
While the challenges are great, research points to solutions that work. Peer-to-peer programs can reduce isolation and encourage treatment. Routine mental health screenings during military transition can identify risk early, and trauma-informed counseling can reduce the risk of future crisis.
For caregivers, studies highlight the value of respite programs, community-based support groups, emotional-wellness education, and flexible counseling options.
To turn research into action, USAA, the Humana Foundation, and Reach Resilience, along with strategic partners, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and UT Health San Antonio, launched Face the Fight — a powerful movement with a coalition of over 250 organizations dedicated to ending the crisis around veteran suicide. It’s a cause that touches every corner of our community — and especially the caregivers who shoulder the invisible weight of service and healing. Together, we’re building hope and collectively through this work, we’ve touched more than 620,000 lives and are on track to save more than 6,500 lives by 2032.
The Humana and Elizabeth Dole foundations are also partnering on a three-year research initiative in Texas to strengthen mental wellness among caregivers. The project will identify and address their distinct mental health needs and design a scalable, community-based model for national use.
These initiatives are making inroads, but they’re not enough. Improving the lives of veterans and caregivers requires philanthropy, business, government and community organizations to work together.
No one embodies courage and strength more than our veterans and their families, but even the strongest among them need support. They deserve not just our thanks, but also the resources and care to help them overcome the mental health challenges they face.
If you or someone you know is experiencing crisis, emotional distress, or thinking about suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org/chat. To reach the Veterans Crisis Line, call 988 and press 1. Support is available 24/7.