Suddenly Forbes cares about military suicides?

I haven't finished reading all of this but based on the beginning of this, I doubt I'll be impressed.

Pentagon has suddenly become a prime mover in researching treatments,,,,,,,,,

What the hell is this supposed to mean? Suddenly? How many years worth of reported attempts to do something about the suicides have to be reported but ignored? The DOD and the VA have been trying to do something for 7 years when suicides began to go up.

This may be a very good article but to leave the impression they suddenly had an awakening moment to address suicides is very misleading to the casual reader. Most people in this country have not been paying attention to any of what's been going on. Readers of this blog have because you have been deeply involved in keeping up to date but the rest of the American public have no clue how bad it has been. Major publications have a responsibility to cover it honestly and as much as possible if we are ever going to stop the suicides.

I'll finish reading this later and the other parts of the series, so check back later.

Sep. 7 2010
The Military’s Fight Against Soldier Suicides
By ROBERT LANGRETH
(Part V in a series. Part IV on the sick patients drug companies refuse to help, is HERE; Part I, II, and III are HERE, HERE, and HERE.)

Hit by rising suicide rates in the wake of two long wars, the Pentagon has suddenly become a prime mover in researching treatments for the suicidal. “They are leading the charge. There is nobody doing more for suicide prevention than the VA and the DOD,” says Catholic University psychologist David Jobes.

The suicide problem first emerged in 2004 among soldiers in Iraq, says Colonel Carl Castro, a psychologist at the Army’s Medical Research & Materiel Command. Now the suicide rate for the whole Army, which historically has been low, exceeds the rate for civilians.In 2009 a record 244 soldiers (active and reserves) killed themselves. This year there have been 156 so far.

The centerpiece of the Army’s efforts is its $50 million, five-year study with the NIH that will follow more than 90,000 soldiers to identify risk factors for suicide. It is modeled on the famous Framingham Heart Study, which helped spot cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease. A second $30 million project just getting going will create a suicide research consortium of top researchers to conduct a dozen rigorous trials of various therapies and drugs in suicidal soldiers and vets.

Cognitive behavioral therapy that focuses on teaching practical skills that help people get through crisis moments was shown to reduce suicide attempts by half in big 2005 trial on civilians. The military has started to test similar approaches. One talk therapy trial is ongoing at Fort Carson, where infantry soldiers have had multiple combat deployments. Another trial is using skills training on suicidal inpatients at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Meanwhile, the Air Force also has a well-known suicide prevention program it has been running for years to spot at-risk airmen.

The VA, meanwhile, has put suicide prevention coordinators at all its hospitals and set up a 24-hour national crisis hotline. Unlike other hotlines, phone counselors can link directly to the VA’s computerized medical records to ensure that patients get prompt follow-up care at their local center, says Janet Kemp, who directs the VA effort.
read the rest of this here
The Military Fight Against Soldier Suicides