Army suicides at record high
Recruting freeze and mental health services aim to curb suicide rates.
Published Feb. 9, 2009
Twenty-four military deaths recorded last month are under investigation as possible suicides, and according to a report from the U.S. Army, the number of active duty suicides could surpass combat casualties for January 2009.
This news follows the release of a Jan. 29 Pentagon report containing the Army's 2008 suicide data. According to the report, there were 128 suicides among active duty Army, Army Reserve and National Guard troops in 2008.
Fifteen cases are still pending a determination of cause of death.
Mizzou Student Veterans Association President Daniel Sewell said as the Army fights on two fronts, soldiers are experiencing fifth and sixth deployments. He said mental health programs are not set up to deal with this constant stress.
"This should also show that even with the decrease in combat violence, multiple deployments are wearing on the members of the Armed Forces," Sewell said.
Deaths deemed suicides are expected to amount to a rate of 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers in 2008. These numbers have been increasing since 2004 when there were 64 suicides reported overall, about half as many as in 2008.
For the first time since 1980, Army suicide rates have surpassed suicide rates of young male civilians, according to an Associated Press report.
The study does not include information about suicide rates in other branches of the military or about suicide rates among troops not on active duty.
According to the AP report, the Army cannot definitively explain the increase, but officials from within the Pentagon cite unprecedented stress linked to repeated and longer tours of duty, relationship, legal and financial troubles at home and the magnitude of what combat troops face on a daily basis in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
The report also included information about the Army's ongoing efforts to prevent suicide: prevention training, improved access to a growing number of Pentagon-employed mental health professionals and mental health education programs offered before, during and after military service for both troops and their families.
According to an Army news release, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli will lead increased efforts in response to this new report.
Chiarelli will be responsible for coordinating efforts throughout the Army and working effectively with the Veteran's Association and the National Institute of Mental Health while they work to identify and mitigate the cause of suicidal behavior in the military.
Army officials have stressed the need to eliminate the reported stigma associated with seeking mental health care.
"We need our soldiers and their families to understand that it's OK to ask for help," Chiarelli said in the release.
The Army also announced they will conduct a 30-day recruiting stand down starting Feb. 15. During this time period, the Army will not enlist new recruits and will investigate their policies for mental health screening for new enlistees. In addition, soldiers will receive peer training to learn to recognize suicidal behaviors and to intervene, followed by a teaching program focused on suicide prevention.
Sewell said the MSVA remains committed to providing services for MU students returning from combat.
Sewell, who spent five years on active duty in the Air Force and is now a member of the Missouri Air National Guard, said the group has partnered with the MU Counseling Center to help provide additional aid for veterans, particularly for those who are transitioning from military to civilian life.
"We want to ensure that every combat veteran that returns to the University of Missouri is taken care of," he said.
