Name:   copperline - Subject:   Increasing suicide rate among the military Date:   1/23/2013 10:47:53 AM

Recently reading that there has been an increase in the suicide rate among active duty troops, specifically that more servicemen (and women?) took their own lives in 2011 than the number that died in Afghanistan.   (349 suicides vs 295 KiA in Afghanistan).  Also that the rate has risen over 2011 numbers when only 301 suicides were reported.  

Those numbers are really troubling to me, and i was wondering what accounts for the increase.

Another interesting statement comes from iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, indicating that nearly half of eligible ex-service members who served in iraq or Afghanistan are snubbing free, federal health care they earned in uniform because many harbor “huge mistrust” of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.   it may be that these people are afraid to seek treatment in part because they fear being labeled as mentally unstable.

On the flip side, the Pentagon says that its suicide rate remains lower than that of America's civilian population. The AP cites the Pentagon as saying "the civilian suicide rate for males aged 17-60 was 25 per 100,000 in 2010, the latest year for which such statistics are available. That compares with the military's rate in 2012 of 17.5 per 100,000."

is the increase in suicides something to be concerned about, or is it statistically insignificant?   And if it is important, what is causing the increased rates?   i’d be interested in hearing the opinions of people with military backgrounds as well as the rest of us.