--- title: IMPACT url: https://warriorwod.org/veteran-suicide-prevention-charity/ date: 2026-04-29T15:19:16+00:00 modified: 2026-10-02T21:21:07+00:00 lang: en_US --- # IMPACT If you or a veteran you know is in crisis: [Dial 988, then press 1](https://www.veteranscrisisline.net), or text 838255. ▸Veteran PTSD program outcomes · 2025 report # The veteran suicide prevention charity that measures PTSD every month. WarriorWOD Foundation is a veteran suicide prevention charity that treats PTSD as the root of the risk. Veterans who complete our six-month program show a 14.42-point drop in PCL-5 PTSD scores, independently verified by the College of Charleston, and all 9 who entered with active suicidal ideation are alive today. [Download the Impact Report](https://warriorwod.my.canva.site/warriorwod-program-impact-report-2026-website) PDF. No form. Built to share with your board or grant committee. −14.42 point PCL-5 reduction College of Charleston, independent. p \< .001 38.25% overall PTSD severity reduction 265 program completers 90.4% see PTSD symptoms drop PCL-5, intake to graduation 9 of 9 veterans with suicidal ideation alive today C-SSRS, measured monthly ![Theresa K., Air Force OIF veteran, doing a dumbbell snatch during a WarriorWOD veteran PTSD program workout](https://warriorwod.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/theresa-k-air-force-veteran-ptsd-warriorwod-1.webp) ▸One Warrior > “A car door would slam and I wasn’t in the parking lot anymore. I was back in Iraq. It still happens. It just doesn’t take the whole afternoon.” Any loud noise and I was back there. I’d lose whole stretches of a day to it. My sister would stop mid-sentence and ask where I’d gone, and I couldn’t tell her. I quit going anywhere I couldn’t leave fast. The workouts gave my body something else to answer to. My Battle Buddy got it without me having to explain. Somewhere in those six months the memories got quieter. That’s what got me to finally call someone about my PTSD. I’ve been seeing a counselor ever since. Theresa K., Air Force, OIF Warrior Class 03-23 graduate Theresa’s PCL-5 total score −45points · −66.18% 68 Intake 23 Grad Entered in the extremely severe range, with re-experiencing her highest cluster (3.6 of 4). Graduated below the 31-33 PTSD threshold. Scale 0 to 80. ▸The deadly toll ## Why veteran suicide prevention starts with PTSD In 2023, 6,398 US veterans died by suicide, about 17.5 every day. The 2023 veteran suicide rate of 35.2 per 100,000 is 93.4% higher than the non-veteran adult rate of 18.2 per 100,000. Veterans are nearly twice as likely as their civilian peers to die by suicide. 6,398 veterans lost to suicide in 2023 VA, 2025 annual report 17.5 veteran suicides every day VA, 2025 annual report 93.4% higher than non-veteran adults 35.2 vs 18.2 per 100,000. VA, 2025 2.4× higher when uncounted deaths are included Operation Deep Dive ### PTSD is a documented suicide risk factor A systematic review found PTSD associated with suicidal ideation and a history of suicide attempts across military and civilian samples, though results varied after adjusting for other psychiatric conditions (Krysinska & Lester, 2010). That risk is not spread evenly across PTSD symptoms. It concentrates in a handful that the PCL-5 measures item by item, which is why we track them every month. The five symptoms below are linked to suicide risk in the research and in the leading theory of suicidal desire. Each one dropped by more than a third among WarriorWOD program completers. PCL-5 item 16Arousal ### Reckless or self-destructive behavior The interpersonal theory of suicide proposes that repeated exposure to painful or frightening experiences may reduce fear of death and increase tolerance for pain (Van Orden et al., 2010). 1.87 before0.88 after −53.12% Largest drop on the instrument PCL-5 items 9-10Cognition ### Self-blame and negative beliefs about self “My family is better off without me.” The interpersonal theory of suicide proposes perceived burdensomeness as one of two central factors in suicidal desire (Van Orden et al., 2010). 2.65 before1.50 after −43.55% Blaming yourself (item 10) PCL-5 item 11Cognition ### Guilt and shame In a military outpatient study, shame was associated with suicidal ideation after accounting for depression and PTSD symptoms. When guilt and shame were analyzed together, only guilt remained significant (Bryan et al., 2013). 3.06 before1.78 after −41.86% Overwhelming guilt or shame PCL-5 items 13-14Cognition ### Feeling distant and unable to feel good The same theory proposes thwarted belongingness, being cut off from the people who would notice, as the second central factor (Van Orden et al., 2010). 3.31 before2.00 after −39.60% Feeling distant (item 13). Reduced positive feelings: −40.50% PCL-5 item 20Arousal ### Trouble sleeping A meta-analysis of 39 studies and 147,753 participants found sleep disturbance associated with suicidal thoughts, attempts, and deaths (Pigeon et al., 2012). Nightmares (item 2) make it worse. 3.44 before2.25 after −34.52% Disturbing dreams: −36.81% 9 of 9 Among 265 program completers, 9 veterans who entered with active suicidal ideation completed the program and remain alive today. We track suicide risk with the C-SSRS at intake and every month, with escalation pathways to licensed clinical care. Battle Buddy mentors are VA S.A.V.E.-certified. [How WarriorWOD approaches suicide prevention beyond September](https://warriorwod.org/every-day-is-suicide-awareness-and-prevention/) Scores are mean PCL-5 item severity (0 to 4) from WarriorWOD internal data. The research shows association with suicide risk, not proof that any one program prevented a suicide. What we can show: each of these risk-linked symptoms fell by more than a third, and every veteran who entered with active suicidal ideation is alive. ▸Independent validation · College of Charleston ## Veteran PTSD program outcomes, checked by someone else An independent evaluation by the [College of Charleston](https://cofc.edu) (Dr. Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D., grant SCTR CES-P UM1TR005294) found a statistically significant 14.42-point reduction in PCL-5 PTSD scores among WarriorWOD program completers (pre: 43.37, post: 28.95; p\<.001, Cohen's d=1.33, n=21 matched pairs). Post-program scores fell below the 31-33 clinical threshold for probable PTSD. Mean PCL-5 total score · n = 21 matched pairs Veterans entered above the PTSD threshold. They left below it. −14.42 points p \< .001 · d = 1.33 Below threshold Probable PTSD Threshold 31-33 43.37Intake 28.95Grad 020406080 *PCL-5 total score, 0 to 80. Lower is better. College of Charleston independent evaluation, 2025. Peer review pending.* p \< .001Statistical significance. t(18) = −5.78 d = 1.33Cohen's d. Above the 0.80 benchmark for a large effect \[−19.67, −9.18\]95% confidence interval n = 21Matched pre/post pairs analyzed The study was funded by an SCTR grant, not by WarriorWOD. Findings were not subject to WarriorWOD review before release. Peer review is pending. Outcomes were measured with the [PCL-5 (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5)](https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/assessment/adult-sr/ptsd-checklist.asp), the instrument the VA uses. > “We found that the veterans averaged PCL-5 scores prior to beginning WarriorWOD that indicated probable PTSD. These average scores fell significantly after completing the program and fell below the threshold for PTSD, which I think is highly meaningful and speaks to the impact of the program.” *Katie Trejo Tello, Ph.D.Associate Professor, Public Health Sciences and Administration, College of Charleston* [Read the full veteran PTSD recovery program research](/veteran-ptsd-recovery-program-research/) ▸265 program completers ## PCL-5 veteran outcomes across all four DSM-5 clusters Among 265 US military veterans who completed WarriorWOD's six-month recovery program, overall PTSD symptom severity declined 38.25% across all four DSM-5 clusters. The largest drop came in negative cognition: the self-blame and numbness most tied to suicide risk. Negative cognition 40.38% 3.00 → 1.78 mean item score Hyperarousal 39.66% 2.94 → 1.80 mean item score Re-experiencing 36.33% 2.74 → 1.76 mean item score Avoidance 35.39% 3.20 → 2.10 mean item score. [Breaking the chains of avoidance](https://warriorwod.org/breaking-the-chains-of-avoidance-in-ptsd/) 90.4% of program completers see a measurable reduction in PTSD symptoms. 15% reduction in self-reported substance use: alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription misuse. ▸Beyond the score ## The symptoms that cost veterans jobs, marriages, and sobriety A supervisor can't fire a veteran for having PTSD. They can fire him for the outburst, the missed shift, the blank stare in the meeting. Each of those traces back to a PCL-5 item we measure monthly. Before and after six months of WarriorWOD Before: intake score After: graduation score −%Improvement ### Work Concentration, anger, and sleep drive missed shifts and lost jobs. Aggressive behavior−41.04% Before2.79After1.64 Difficulty concentrating−35.22% Before3.25After2.11 Trouble sleeping−34.52% Before3.44After2.25 ### Relationships Detachment ends marriages. Partners read numbness as rejection. Loss of interest−42.75% Before3.09After1.77 Reduced positive feelings−40.50% Before2.9After1.72 Feeling distant−39.60% Before3.31After2 ### Substance use Alcohol is the most common sleep aid. It fragments sleep and feeds nightmares. Self-destructive behavior−53.12% Before1.87After0.88 Disturbing dreams−36.81% Before2.71After1.71 Self-reported substance use−15% Before100After85 Mean PCL-5 item severity (0 to 4) at intake and graduation. Substance use shown as an index (intake = 100) from self-report. WarriorWOD internal data, 265 program completers. ### Why the program works both pathways PTSD pulls veterans down two tracks at once. One is a nervous system stuck on high: no sleep, quick anger, constant scanning. The other is withdrawal: self-blame, numbness, distance from everyone. Medication alone or therapy alone usually reaches one track. WarriorWOD was designed to work both in the same six months. Train and eat: the arousal clusterStructured strength and conditioning plus nutrition coaching target sleep, startle, irritability, and focus (PCL-5 items 15-20). Reconnect: the isolation clusterA shared Warrior Class start and a Battle Buddy who completed the program target detachment and self-blame (items 9-14). ▸In their words ## What the numbers look like from inside the Warrior Class “ > The program has encouraged me to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which has had a profound impact on my mental health. I feel more active and less isolated, thanks to WarriorWOD. *Erin A.WarriorWOD Warrior · Air Force* “ > The gym used to be just a place to work out, but WarriorWOD turned it into my sanctuary. My battle buddy has been a mental health lifesaver as well. Having someone so similar to me has made me feel less alone in my journey. *Liz D.WarriorWOD Warrior · Army* “ > I've battled with PTSD and emotional triggers for years. WarriorWOD has given me a supportive community that understands my challenges. The Battle Buddy program has been therapeutic and has helped me cope with my feelings and seek positive solutions. *Brenton C.WarriorWOD Warrior · Marine Corps* Shared with permission. Program participant feedback. ## Fund Outcomes, Not Overhead. Twelve donors at **$25 a month** cover one veteran's full six-month recovery: the partner gym, the nutrition coaching, and the Battle Buddy across the entire program.