Adolescent Substance Abuse Articles
Suicide rate among military personnel rising
By Staff Writer
Members of the nation's armed forces face many risks to their wellbeing, including both physical and mental trauma. A recent study of military personnel has revealed that this population is also at risk for higher suicide rates.
The results of a recent RAND Corporation study show that suicide rates in the military rose sharply over an eight year period. The number of service members who took their own life grew from approximately 10 per 100,000 in 2001 to almost 16 per 10,000 in 2008.
Though the suicide rate among members of the military has traditionally been lower than that of the adjusted civilian population, these findings show that the gap has narrowed.
Due to these findings, the researchers behind this study believe that U.S. military officials should take several steps to identify and help at-risk individuals through intervention and other strategies.
Service members should be made aware of the confidential help they can receive from behavioral healthcare providers and chaplains. In addition, the researchers recommend that those around these individuals receive education on how they can identify signs of suicidal behavior in military personnel.
Finally, military leaders should receive guidelines on how they can respond to suicides that occur under their command and help other service members cope.
