Army Suicide on the Rise

The suicide rate in the Army has risen to record highs. In 2008 there were 128 suicides by soldiers in the armed forces. This is the fourth consecutive year that the rate of suicide in the armed forces has risen. Due, according to professionals, to the increasing length of deployment, there are usually other factors involved. Personal, financial and legal problems are common themes in the lives of the victims. 15 month deployments in a war zone, not surprisingly often result in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, alcohol use and personal problems. However, only 30% of the suicides were committed during deployment, the rest were either post- deployment or pre- deployment. Prevention efforts have increased in the last couple of years as the numbers have grown. There is a definite lack of mental health professionals on site however and soldiers turn either to hotlines or other less effective means of suicide prevention. The National Institute of Mental Health in undergoing a five year project to help identify the cause of army suicide. Examining the role of combat, long deployments, family stress and other factors will hopefully provide some answers and means for solving them. Despite awareness, conditions in the army remain poor as far as suicide prevention. It is difficult to see therapists off base and mental health screenings are insufficient.
The rise in army suicide rate does not necessarily surprise me. On top of the usual factors that lead to suicide in the army, the war in Iraq is a highly disputed thing and support for the troops is lacking. Identity loss that comes naturally with enrollment in the armed forces-- caused by forced homogeneity and rigid authority is now confused with a lack of clear purpose and justification for the actions associated with being in the army. Soldiers are far from home and everyday partake in activities that contrast with their self perceptions. The necessity to commit acts that stand in opposition to a person’s believes and morals can have a very negative affect on their psyche. When this happens people try to escape self-awareness, in extreme cases by commiting suicide. Troops deployed in
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/30suicide.html?scp=5&sq=suicide%20in%20the%20u.s.%20army&st=cse