Army not sure about 13 potential suicides

Army Releases August Suicide Data
The Army released suicide data today for the month of August 2010. Among active-duty soldiers, there were 13 potential suicides: none have been confirmed as suicides, and all 13 remain under investigation. For July, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, five have been confirmed as suicides, and seven remain under investigation.

During August, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 10 potential suicides. For July, among that same group, there were 16 total suicides. Of those, eight were confirmed as suicides and eight are pending determination of the manner of death.

“With the release of the Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report in July, the Army has transitioned suicide prevention efforts to the Health Promotion, Risk Reduction Council and Task Force. These two elements will help analyze, shape and implement the more than 240 additional changes to Army policy, procedure and processes recommended in the report,” said Col. Chris Philbrick, deputy director of the Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction Council and Task Force.

“Our efforts continue to evolve as we learn more about the multiple factors contributing to suicides and high-risk behavior within our Army family. The end state remains the ability to provide our soldiers, civilians and families with the quality care and support they need and deserve,” Philbrick said.

Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year.

The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647; their Web site address is Military OneSource. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.
The Army's comprehensive list of is located at Suicide Prevention Program information .
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: Health Promotion and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at Suicide Prevention.
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at Suicide prevention training
(requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).

The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at DCoE Outreach Center.

Information about the Army’s is located at Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program .

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Suicide Prevention Resource Councilsp.

Army suicide study to survey 400,000

Army suicide study to survey 400,000
By Seth Robson
Stars and Stripes
Published: July 28, 2010

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Starting this summer, researchers plan to survey up to 400,000 soldiers as part of the largest study to date of suicide and mental health among military personnel.

It’s the next phase in a $50 million, five-year study the Army and the The National Institute of Mental Health have been conducting since 2008 in hopes of identifying risk factors and providing a scientific basis for efforts to reduce troops’ suicide rates.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity to assist the Army in addressing a pressing military health issue,” NIMH director Thomas R. Insel said in the statement.

Historically, the suicide rate has been lower in the military than among civilians, but in 2005 that pattern was reversed. In June, there were 21 active-duty and 11 reserve soldier suicides, including seven in Iraq or Afghanistan, the most on record.

“While the stresses of the current wars (in Iraq and Afghanistan), including long and repeated deployments and post-traumatic stress, are important potential contributors for research to address, suicidal behavior is a complex phenomenon,” the NIMH statement said.
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Army suicide study to survey 400000

Wednesday's child is full of woe?

Wednesday's child is full of woe? Was Mother Goose right?

For Suicide, Why Wednesday?
What is it about Wednesday?
Intriguing new research shows that Wednesday is the day of the week on which most suicides occur. That contradicts earlier, long-standing findings that Monday was the most common day for people to commit suicide.

The study looked at data about suicides nationwide among people over age 18; that number totaled 131,636 over five years. Almost a quarter of those suicides happened on Wednesdays, while only about 14 percent took place on Mondays. The fewest -- just over 11 percent -- occurred on Thursdays.

In keeping with previous research, this study showed that men were about three times as likely as women to attempt suicide and about three times as likely to succeed in their attempt.

It's very hard for a person not inclined to consider suicide to get inside the head of one who does contemplate killing him- or herself. So it's hard to know why people would choose Wednesday above all other days to commit such an act. The paper suggests that perhaps life's stresses build up by mid-week and seem most insurmountable on that day.

The study suggests more research is needed; it would of course be good to figure this out. Because maybe if we understood their thinking, we could better help dissuade people from taking their own lives.
What do you think? What makes Wednesday stand out in this grim regard?
(Here's information about a nationwide network of suicide prevention hotlines.)

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/?hpid=sec-health

MONDAY'S CHILD IS FAIR OF FACE
by Mother Goose

Monday's child is fair of face,
Tuesday's child is full of grace,
Wednesday's child is full of woe,
Thursday's child has far to go.
Friday's child is loving and giving,
Saturday's child works hard for a living,
But the child born on the Sabbath Day,
Is fair and wise and good and gay.
http://www.bethanyroberts.com/MondaysChildIsFairofFace.htm