Suicide prevention: Self-check assessment

Checking in with yourself can save your life.

For me, the gym is more than a place for exercise. It’s where I tune in to my body and mind. As I get older, my joints and muscles have plenty to say, and I’ve learned to listen.

But beyond the occasional aches and pains, the gym is my personal check-in point. It’s where I take stock of life, sort through challenges and find clarity when stress starts piling up. I admit that it sometimes can be a struggle.

Veterans tend to prioritize others’ needs. But if you’re at the point where it’s second nature to just keep pushing through negative issues, you could end up overwhelmed. You could even face a crisis.

It’s always a good idea to check in with yourself, and we want you to know that there’s a tool available for you.

What is VA’s self-check assessment?

VA and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention teamed up to create the Veterans Self-Check Assessment, a free, confidential tool to help you find out if stress and depression are affecting you and what you can do about it.

The assessment includes a series of questions that takes about 10 minutes to complete. It’s designed specifically for Veterans, active-duty military service members and members of the National Guard and Reserve, as well as their family members.

What to expect

When you first go to the Veterans self-check assessment, you’ll see a welcome screen with information about how the service is voluntary, confidential and safe. You won’t be asked to provide your name or any other identifying information.

You’ll be asked about the degree to which you or the person you’re taking the assessment for has been bothered by certain feelings in the last four weeks, such as:

• Feeling nervous or worrying a lot.
• Becoming easily annoyed or irritable.
• Feeling your life is too stressful.

The next questions relate to substance use and eating behaviors as well as problems and concerns. Veterans sometimes have a response to stressful military experiences, such as:

• Repeated disturbing memories, thoughts or images of the stressful experience.
• Having physical reactions (like heart pounding, trouble breathing, sweating) when something reminded you of the stressful experience.
• Avoiding activities or situations because they remind you of the stressful experience.
• Difficulty concentrating.

The assessment will then ask about feelings and behaviors experienced in the last two weeks, including whether you or the person you’re taking the assessment for has had thoughts of suicide or self-harm.

Just because you click on the assessment doesn’t mean you have to take it. You’re welcome to click through each section and then choose whether to start the assessment. It covers a lot of very serious issues that may seem uncomfortable to think about. But it’s designed to get you thinking about your stress level and give you the option to access resources that may be helpful.

What happens after you take the assessment

Once you answer all the questions, you can choose to submit your assessment. If you do, you’ll be given a unique reference number for you to jot down. A Veterans Crisis Line responder will review your answers and leave you a personal response on the self-check assessment website, for which you’ll need the reference number. If the responder thinks resources could be helpful, they’ll provide information in their note.

Again, you’re in control and you decide what to do at this point. You don’t have to read the note or use the resources. If you want to chat with a responder, you can enter the Veterans Crisis Line online chat. It’s up to you. No follow-up services will be provided unless you want them. If an online chat is not what you want, you can also reach the Veterans Crisis Line via phone (Dial 988 then Press 1) or text (838255).

Prioritizing yourself now can help prevent a crisis in the future

When you think about it, so much of what we do every day is to avoid a future problem. I go to the gym to try to stay healthy and prevent disease.

The same goes for our well-being. If we take the time now to find ways to decrease stress and depression, we reduce our risk of a future crisis. I encourage you to check out the assessment. It could help you find the resources you need to stay healthy and safe.