Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Suicides in the US military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate, according to a Defense Department report released on Thursday. In a statement Thursday, Austin said the new figures “urgently demonstrate the need for the Department to redouble its work in the complex fields of suicide prevention and postvention.” He said the department is moving urgently to put changes in place, adding, “There’s still much more work to do, and we won’t let up.” The increase was fueled by spikes in the number of Army and Air Force deaths, while the Marine Corps and Navy saw a very small dip. An independent committee recommended early last year that the department put in place a series of gun safety measures to reduce suicides in the force, including waiting periods for the purchase of firearms and ammunition by service members on military property. The commission said the department should raise the minimum age for service members to buy guns and ammunition to 25 and require anyone living in military housing to register all privately owned firearms.

Military Suicide Storage Service Department Members Rate Service Members Troops Guard Suicides  longterm  continuing  department  2023  activeduty  rate  trend  suicide  military  storage  troops  increased  service  suicides  members

History of this topic

The number of military suicides dipped in 2022 as the Pentagon steps up prevention
1 year, 2 months ago

The number of military suicides dipped in 2022 as the Pentagon steps up prevention

LA Times  

The Pentagon has been trying to build prevention and treatment programs to address military suicides. The number of suicides among U.S. military members and their families dipped slightly in 2022, compared with the previous year, as the Defense Department tries to build prevention and treatment programs to address what has been a steadily growing problem over the last decade, the …

US suicides hit an all-time high last year
1 year, 4 months ago

US suicides hit an all-time high last year

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday. The number should not be going up,” said Christina Wilbur, a 45-year-old Florida woman whose son shot himself to death last year. A recent Johns Hopkins University analysis used preliminary 2022 data to calculate …

U.S. suicides hit an all-time high last year, the CDC reports
1 year, 4 months ago

U.S. suicides hit an all-time high last year, the CDC reports

LA Times  

Data suggest suicides are more common in the U.S. than at any time since the dawn of World War II. About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever, according to new government data posted Thursday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which posted the numbers, has not yet calculated a suicide …

Suicides jump 4% to become one of top 10 leading causes of death in US
1 year, 8 months ago

Suicides jump 4% to become one of top 10 leading causes of death in US

Daily Mail  

Rates of suicides in the US rose in 2021 after enjoying a dip for two years, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. After increasing between 2001 and 2018, the age-adjusted suicide rate declined for two years through 2020 and then increased to about 14/100k in 2021 While those rates were lowest for young females aged …

Navy finds no link in series of suicides by carrier crew
2 years ago

Navy finds no link in series of suicides by carrier crew

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Three suicides by sailors assigned to a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, which set off alarms about conditions on and around the ship, were not connected, but the poor quality of life onboard was a “contributing factor” in one of the deaths, according to a Navy report released Monday. “Based on my review, I conclude these three suicides were …

Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs
2 years, 2 months ago

Military suicides drop as leaders push new programs

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Suicides across the active duty U.S. military decreased over the past 18 months, driven by sharp drops in the Air Force and Marine Corps last year and a similar decline among Army soldiers during the first six months of this year, according to a new Pentagon report and preliminary data for 2022. The Army saw a similar 30% …

Suicides in the military decreased by 15% in 2021, Pentagon report finds
2 years, 2 months ago

Suicides in the military decreased by 15% in 2021, Pentagon report finds

CBS News  

Suicides among active-duty service members decreased over 15% from 2020 to 2021, according to the Pentagon's annual report on suicides in the military released today. The 2021 suicide rate for active-duty service members in 2021 was 24.3 per 100,000 which is down from 28.7 in 2020. Service members who died by suicide in 2021 were mostly young enlisted men, which …

As suicides rise, US military seeks to address mental health
2 years, 2 months ago

As suicides rise, US military seeks to address mental health

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. Something’s wrong.’” As the Pentagon seeks to confront spiraling suicide rates in the military ranks, Williamson’s experiences shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help. The study detailed stress factors particular to military life: “high exposure to trauma — mental, …

Spiraling military suicide rates force Pentagon to address mental health
2 years, 2 months ago

Spiraling military suicide rates force Pentagon to address mental health

LA Times  

After finishing a tour in Afghanistan in 2013, Dionne Williamson felt emotionally numb. Something’s wrong.’” As the Pentagon seeks to confront spiraling suicide rates in the military’s ranks, Williamson’s experiences shine a light on the realities for service members seeking mental health help. In March, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced the creation of an independent committee to review …

Over 800 cases of suicide in the Armed Forces: Why our soldiers are so stressed
2 years, 5 months ago

Over 800 cases of suicide in the Armed Forces: Why our soldiers are so stressed

Firstpost  

Long duty hours coupled with a lack of adequate sleep and rest, the attitude of senior leadership and long deployment in conflict areas are to blame for high stress levels in the armed forces The Centre has said 819 armed forces personnel died by suicide over the last five years, with the Indian Army accounting for 642 such cases alone. …

345 Suicides in 3 Years: Why Are Our Armed Forces So Stressed?
2 years, 8 months ago

345 Suicides in 3 Years: Why Are Our Armed Forces So Stressed?

The Quint  

The lackadaisical handling of incidents like the one in which the brave Assistant Commandant Vibhor of elite COBRA of CRPF lost both his legs in an IED blast on 25 February further leave the troops with a sense of apprehension and add to their stress levels. The increasing disconnect between senior leaders and cutting-edge operational leadership affects the morale down …

Slight increase in suicide last year
2 years, 8 months ago

Slight increase in suicide last year

NL Times  

The number of registered suicides in the Netherlands increased by 36 to 1,859 last year. Men between the ages of 20 and 30, in particular, were more likely to end their lives, with the number of suicides in this age group increasing from 124 in 2020 to 157 in 2021. Last year, 304 men and 128 women between the ages …

Military suicides rise 15% as senior leaders call for action
3 years, 3 months ago

Military suicides rise 15% as senior leaders call for action

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The number of U.S. military suicides jumped by 15% last year, fueled by significant increases in the Army and Marine Corps that senior leaders called troubling. “While there is no clear understanding of what is causing the increase in suicides, we realize we have to do better in preventing suicide and ensure resources are available and readily accessible,” …

US suicide rate fell last year after decade of steady rise
4 years, 2 months ago

US suicide rate fell last year after decade of steady rise

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The U.S. suicide rate fell slightly last year, the first annual decline in more than a decade, according to new government data. It’s a small decrease and the data is preliminary, but the decline is “really exciting,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. When all that is factored together, …

Military suicides up as much as 20% in COVID era
4 years, 3 months ago

Military suicides up as much as 20% in COVID era

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Military suicides have increased by as much as 20% this year compared to the same period in 2019, and some incidents of violent behavior have spiked as service members struggle under COVID-19, war-zone deployments, national disasters and civil unrest. And senior Army leaders — who say they’ve seen about a 30% jump in active duty suicides so far …

The US suicide rate is at its highest since World War II
5 years, 6 months ago

The US suicide rate is at its highest since World War II

CNN  

CNN — The suicide rate in the United States continues to climb, with a rate in 2017 that was 33% higher than in 1999, new research finds. Suicide rates among people 15 to 64 increased significantly during that period, rising from 10.5 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 14 per 100,000 in 2017, the most recent year with available data, …

Discover Related