Suicide rates go up for middle-aged, CDC finds

Keep in mind that while the military points out the increase in suicides in the "civilian" population, they do in fact also include veterans. Last count is 22 veterans a day.

Suicide rates go up for middle-aged, CDC finds
By Maggie Fox, Senior Writer
NBC News

Suicide rates are up alarmingly among middle-aged Americans, according to the latest federal government statistics.

They show a 28 percent rise in suicide rates for people aged 35 to 64 between 1999 and 2010. Rates for children and younger adults, and people over 65, didn’t change much over the same time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. “Most suicide research and prevention efforts have focused historically on youth and the elderly. This report’s findings suggest that efforts should also address the needs of middle-aged persons,” CDC researchers wrote in the agency’s weekly report in death and disease.

The CDC had already noted a worrying trend for suicides. “Suicide deaths have surpassed deaths from motor vehicle crashes in recent years in the United States. In 2010 there were 33,687 deaths from motor vehicle crashes and 38,364 suicides,” the CDC’s Nimesh Patel and Scott Kegler wrote in their report.

They teased out the data by age and sex and found a clear trend for people who usually are at the height of career and family responsibilities -- those aged 35 to 64. “Annual suicide rates for this age group increased 28 percent over this period (from 13.7 suicides per 100,000 people in 1999 to 17.6 per 100,000 in 2010), with particularly high increases among non-Hispanic whites and American Indians and /Alaska Natives,” they wrote.
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Forbes business writer should have stayed out of clueless claim

First read who wrote the article I am about to attack. "Tim Worstall, Contributor I write about business and technology." He should have stuck to writing about the things he knows about and stayed away from something he doesn't have a ------- clue about. Yes, I left the letters out but if you can count I am sure you can figure out what was on my mind.

This is his headline

But There Isn't An Epidemic Of Suicide In The US Military

I was very surprised to see this headline in The Guardian today:

US military struggling to stop suicide epidemic among war veterans

It’s not all that unusual for The Guardian to snipe at the US military of course, but something about the way the subject was being treated puzzled me.

Is this a story about how much better military medicine has got or one about how the system is driving huge numbers into suicide? The way the paper tells the story it’s that there is indeed some epidemic of suicide sweeping through the ranks of the military and veterans. And my problem is that having looked at the numbers I just don’t see it.

I should of course point out that any and every suicide is a tragedy. Both for the person dying and for those they leave behind. And I would go on and insist that just one suicide is one too many. However, it’s also necessary to note that suicide does indeed happen in all walks of life. What we need to know is whether there are more than the normal number in one specific profession or occupation. Only then can we start to argue that there’s something specific to that occupation that leads to suicide.

Apparently he knows about as much about the business behind addressing the epidemic of suicides tied to the military as he does about history. He doesn't seem to have a clue how much money the military has been spending on addressing this non-existant issue. BILLIONS A YEAR ARE SPENT BECAUSE THERE IS A CRISIS!

If you want to know what the crisis is, how much was spent or what can be done to stop them, read THE WARRIOR SAW, SUICIDES AFTER WAR and know what this "business" writer can't seem to understand. By the way my friends in the UK military are dealing with the same problem, and Canada and Australia but they are looking to the US for leadership on this.

Worstall used this quote

In 2012, for the first time in at least a generation, the number of active-duty soldiers who killed themselves, 177, exceeded the 176 who were killed while in the war zone. To put that another way, more of America’s serving soldiers died at their own hands than in pursuit of the enemy.

This is a better one.

Officials Uphold Commitment to Suicide Prevention Solutions
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 21, 2013 – A panel of Defense Department and service officials told Congress today their efforts to address military suicides will persist.

Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the House Armed Services Committee’s military personnel subcommittee the service member suicide rate had increased from 10.3 to 18.3 per 100,000.

For 2010, Garrick said, the U.S. suicide rate for males, ages 17 to 60 – an age demographic that best matches the armed forces -- was 25.1 per 100,000, which rose from 21.8 per 100,000 in 2001.

“DOD fervently believes that every one life lost to suicide is one too many, and prevention is everybody’s responsibility,” she said. “This fight will take enormous collective action and the implementation of proven and effective initiatives.”

Garrick and service representatives outlined how their programs incorporate the latest research and information on suicide prevention and how leaders are tackling the problem. “While physical injuries may be easier to see, there are many invisible wounds such as depression, anxiety [and] post-traumatic stress that also take a significant toll on our service members,” said Lt. Gen. Howard B. Bromberg, the Army’s deputy chief of staff for personnel. “ … Suicidal behavior is an urgent national problem that affects all Americans across all dimensions of society, including those who have chosen to serve the nation.”

DOD officials saw leveling in suicide rates for 2010 and 2011, Garrick told the House panel, but they expect an increase in the suicide rate for 2012 upon the completion of investigations and final determinations of manner of death.

But then again he also used the wrong numbers

Army Releases December 2012 and Calendar Year 2012 Suicide Information

The Army released suicide data today for the month of December and calendar year 2012. During December, among active-duty soldiers, there were seven potential suicides: three have been confirmed as suicides and four remain under investigation. For November, the Army reported 12 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers: four have been confirmed as suicides and eight remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 182 potential active-duty suicides: 130 have been confirmed as suicides and 52 remain under investigation. Active-duty suicide number for 2011: 165 confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

During December, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 15 potential suicides (10 Army National Guard and five Army Reserve): four have been confirmed as suicides and 11 remain under investigation. For November, among that same group, the Army reported 15 potential suicides (12 Army National Guard and three Army Reserve): 10 have been confirmed as suicides and five remain under investigation. For 2012, there have been 143 potential not on active-duty suicides (96 Army National Guard and 47 Army Reserve): 117 have been confirmed as suicides and 26 remain under investigation. Not on active-duty suicide numbers for 2011: 118 (82 Army National Guard and 36 Army Reserve) confirmed as suicides and no cases under investigation.

Shooting at Bush Airport leaves one man dead

Man shot and killed at Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport, authorities say
By Steve Almasy
CNN
updated 5:07 PM EDT, Thu May 2, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Police say man was confronted by agent from Homeland Security
NEW: Agent shot at man, who tried to shoot himself
NEW: Autopsy will determine cause of death, police say
McDonald's employee tells CNN affiliate she heard two shots, began to run

(CNN) -- A man was shot and killed Thursday in a pre-screening area at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, authorities said.

Police told reporters that the man had just come through the doors in Terminal B when he fired at least one shot into the ceiling.

A Homeland Security Investigations agent was working in an office near the scene, came out and told the man to drop his weapon. The agent fired once at the suspect, who appeared to try to shoot himself at the same time.

An autopsy will determine whose bullet killed the man, who has not been identified, police said.

CNN affiliate KHOU reported the man walked into the terminal with a military-style, semiautomatic rifle and fired two shots into the ceiling.

The station interviewed a woman who works at a McDonald's in the terminal.
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Pentagon: OK to talk about faith Hallelujah!

Pentagon: OK to talk about faith, but not to push beliefs on others
By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 2, 2013

WASHINGTON — It’s OK to evangelize. But it’s not OK to proselytize.

That’s what the Pentagon said Thursday, attempting to clarify its position on religious speech in uniform as controversy swirled up around press reports over possible prosecutions of troops for sharing their faith.

What it comes down to, officials said, is that discussing matters of faith and religious practice with a willing audience is allowed, but pushing religious beliefs on those who don’t want to hear it is a form of harassment forbidden under Defense Department policies.

“Service members can share their faith (evangelize), but must not force unwanted, intrusive attempts to convert others of any faith or no faith to one’s beliefs (proselytization),” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Nate Christensen said in a written statement.

Officials said there was no plan to step up disciplinary action to weed out unacceptable religious speech.
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Young vets with PTSD receive more CT scans

Young vets with PTSD receive more CT scans
May 2, 2013
Psychology and Psychiatry

Computed tomography scans are significantly more commonly used in young veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to young veterans without PTSD, according to research published in the May issue of Radiology. (HealthDay)—Computed tomography (CT) scans are significantly more commonly used in young veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to young veterans without PTSD, according to research published in the May issue of Radiology.
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