Suicide in the Armed Forces

Suicide in the Armed Forces
Deterrents should be encouraged to address a challenge that isn't going to go away.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

LAST YEAR, 143 soldiers, 41 sailors, 41 Marines and 31 airmen took their own lives. For the first time, suicides in the Army have outpaced the rate for the same demographic group in the nation at large, with the highest number since the Pentagon began keeping track in 1980.

The Defense Department has taken notice. Both independently and in concert, the branches of the armed forces have affirmed their commitment to suicide prevention and begun trying to identify contributing factors and offer solutions. This has produced an almost bewildering array of options: A PowerPoint presentation given to Army commanders listed nearly 20 independent sources of help. Almost every branch of the armed services has launched one or more independent initiatives to promote overall mental wellness and to combat suicide -- not to mention broader-ranging programs such as the Defense Centers of Excellence's "Real Warriors" campaign to lessen the stigma against seeking mental health assistance. The Army Suicide Prevention Task Force observed that commanders are "overwhelmed by the number of programs the Army already has."
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Suicide in the Armed Forces