View Topic

This article from USA Today came across my Reddit feed this morning. I've been aware that mental distress has been an issue in the military for some time, but I was still surprised at how prevalent suicide is, to the point that it's now the leading cause of death in the military.

According to the article, 30% (or 3 in 10) of deaths in the US military for 2013 were from suicide, while according to the CDC just 1.6% of deaths in the general American population were from suicide. Additionally, inferring from the article, for every two service members that were killed in war since 2001, one successfully committed suicide. This report doesn't even include the failed attempts.

What the article doesn't attempt to do is explain why this may be...is it PTSD, military culture, or some other factor? Any thoughts on this one?

That is an interesting point, PTSD is a very prevalent condition that many of our troops carry home...which unfortunately leads a bit of a bias to the suicide rates. It would be interesting to see the casualties of war compared to the number of soldiers who took their own life at home.

It is very sad that soldiers, who have performed a great duty, feel that suicide is an option. There is a huge need for more funding and services for veterans. There is a charity in the UK called 'Help for Heroes' that does great things for veterans, including mental health. I just find it depressing that charities are needed to bridge the huge gap from government spending.