US Army Releases 2008 Suicide Rates
For the fourth year in a row, the suicide rate in the United States Army has risen. The Army released it’s 2008 suicide rates earlier this month and this year’s rate is the highest in US Army history (since the Army began tracking suicide rates in 1980). The rate of suicides in service men and women rose to 20.2 suicides per 100,000 soldiers.
Repeat deployments, leading to a soldiers inability to deal with traumatic events, are being named as one of the biggest factors in the increased suicide rate. Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder usually follow an average of 12% of soldiers after they return home from service. However, the rate of solders who suffer from these symptoms jump to over 27% if they have been deployed three times.
The Army has launched an initiative with the National Institute of Mental Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to address the rise in suicide rates and to assist in identifying better suicide prevention measures. You can read more on the 2008 Army suicide reports, and what the government plans to do to help online here.