Study: Why soldiers take their own lives

There is hope because they are finally starting to get it. Well, at least some of them are. This is what I've been talking about since the 80's because the experts I learned from studied soldiers and not civilians. This type of PTSD is a whole different story.

Study: Why soldiers take their own lives
WTVD News
February 22, 2013

FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- A new study published Friday sheds new light on what groups in the military are at higher risk of suicide and why.

Army Research Psychologists James Griffith and Mark Vaitkus looked at years of data collected by the Army National Guard for their findings.

They said white males aged 17 to 24 are at the highest risk - regardless of whether they have been deployed overseas. The researchers said the younger men are at an age when many struggle to define who they are and how they relate to others. They also said men in other ethnic groups often have better support systems through church, family, and community.

The military has struggled to prevent suicide in its ranks. 2012 was the worst year for Army deaths, with 323 soldiers taking their lives.

While the study downplays the link between deployment and suicide, mental health professionals in the community around Fort Bragg say they're increasingly dealing with soldiers who suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome.

Troops are coming from war zones where they're passing out candy in friendly communities one minute, and losing lives the next.

"They're in an environment where they may leave and come back and there's an IED [improvised explosive device] where they were just handing out these types of things. The fact that people don't really feel like they know who their enemy is, who they can trust, is one reason why this conflict in and out of itself is breeding so much posttraumatic stress disorder," explained psychologist, Christopher Ketchman.
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