MEDIA ADVISORY: Twitter Chat to Focus on Veterans Mental Health

Nov 09, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 9, 2021 – As we stop this week to honor the sacrifice of our nation’s more than 17 million military veterans, the American Psychiatric Association will host a Veterans Mental Health Twitter Chat where participants can learn more about the impact of numerous serious mental health issues facing this population.

What: The Veterans Mental Health Twitter Chat will focus on serious mental health issues among this community and cover topics such as suicide, PTSD, misconceptions around mental health, addiction, and resources available to veterans and their families.

When: Nov. 10, 2021, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern.

Where: Follow and participate on Twitter, using hashtag #VetsMentalHealthChat. (A Twitter chat offers a virtual meet-up for people to discuss a common interest or an important topic and provides the ability to engage and take a deep dive into a subject in a less formal manner.)

Who:The Twitter chat will be co-hosted by the American Psychiatric Association (@APAPsychiatric), the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (@PsychFoundation) and the VA Boston Healthcare System (@VABostonHC), with promotional assistance from several other national mental health and veterans service organizations, including the National Association of Counties (@NACoTweets), the Team Red, White & Blue (@TeamRWB), and other veteran organizations.

Why: The United States faces a mental health and suicide crisis among its military veterans as around 17 veterans die by suicide per day. In this conversation, psychiatrists and representatives of veterans’ support organizations, will share the facts about mental health and solutions to this problem.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA's vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.