At Joint Veterans’ Affairs Hearing, Blue Star Families’ Dr. Lindsay Knight Highlights Transition Risks and Evidence-Based Suicide Prevention Solutions
New Data Shows 58% of Veterans Report Difficult Transition; Program Evaluation Demonstrates Statistically Significant Gains in Crisis Intervention Confidence
Washington, D.C., Feb. 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Blue Star Families Chief Impact Officer Dr. Lindsay Knight testified before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs, urging lawmakers to strengthen transition support and expand evidence-based, community-based suicide prevention efforts for veterans and their families.
Drawing on findings from the 2025 Military Family Lifestyle Survey (MFLS), Dr. Knight underscored persistent challenges facing veterans during the transition from military to civilian life.
According to the 2025 MFLS:
- 58% of veteran respondents described their transition as “difficult” or “very difficult.”
- 44% said it was more difficult than expected.
- 11% reported seriously considering suicide within the past year.
- 49% reported not using the Department of War’s Transition Assistance Program during their transition.
“These data reflect more than a period of adjustment,” Dr. Knight said in her testimony. “The transition from military to civilian life is not just a personal journey for the service member – it is a profound change experienced by the entire family.”
Dr. Knight also presented new evaluation data from Blue Star Families’ suicide prevention programming funded through the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program, including Support Circles and the Combat the Silence campaign.
Program results demonstrate statistically significant improvements among participants, including:
- Increased confidence discussing suicide (from 55.3% to 73.9%)
- Improved capacity to help individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts
- Increased self-efficacy to intervene before a crisis
In her testimony, Dr. Knight called on Congress to:
- Extend the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program for at least three additional years and work toward long-term authorization of the most successful, evidence-based initiatives, including community-based models that demonstrate statistically significant improvements in intervention capacity and projected healthcare cost savings 17 times greater than program costs.
- Enact the Building Readiness and Integration for Dependents Going to Civilian Environments (BRIDGE) Act, establishing a pilot program to extend coordinated transition services to military families, recognizing that 58% of Veterans describe their transition as difficult and that family stability is central to long-term wellbeing.
- Pass the bipartisan Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102 / S. 1032) to allow approximately 52,000 combat-injured, medically retired Veterans to receive their earned retirement pay and disability compensation without offset.
“Veteran suicide prevention is not only a moral imperative, it also saves VA healthcare resources,” Dr. Knight noted.
The full written testimony submitted to the Committees is available here.
About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest military and veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. A “blue star family” is the family of a currently serving military member, including active duty, National Guard, reserve forces, and those transitioning out of service. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $336 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually through an expansive network of chapters and outposts. For more information, click here.
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Angela Nicholas Blue Star Families media@bluestarfam.org
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