Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
USA Today
May 30, 2008
Pg. 6
By Gregg Zoroya, USA Today
WASHINGTON — The Army recorded 115 soldiers' suicides in 2007, the highest total since it started counting in 1980, the service announced Thursday. That's more than twice the 52 suicides in 2001, the low point reached as the war on terrorism started.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are contributing to the rise, said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a psychiatric consultant to the Army surgeon general.
Army records show that 65% of the suicides were related to broken relationships and that 37% of the suicides came within 30 days of the end of those relationships. Multiple combat deployments of up to 15 months hurt those relationships, Ritchie said.
"When those relationships break," said Col. Charles Reese, a chaplain, "it tends to be a strong contributing factor to the consideration of death as an option."
Lt. Col. Thomas Languirand said the number of suicides in 2008 are "approximately the same as they were" at this time a year ago.
The increased suicides came as the Pentagon is hiring more mental health specialists and spending more on family support programs. The Army approved the hiring of more than 300 additional mental health professionals and has hired 180 of them. "The Army is very, very busy, and perhaps we haven't taken care of each other as much as we'd like to," Ritchie said.
The 115 deaths amount to a rate of 18.5 per 100,000 soldiers, the highest rate since the Army began keeping records in 1980.
However, the rate is slightly lower than among civilians. The suicide rate among U.S. civilians, when adjusted for age and gender similar to military demographics, was 19.5 per 100,000 in 2005, according to an Army assessment of the latest statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the 115 military suicides, five were women, 22 were from the National Guard or Army Reserve, and 93 were active-duty Army. Thirty-two suicides occurred in Iraq; four in Afghanistan. One in four of the victims had never deployed overseas.
There also were 935 attempted suicides in 2007, compared with 948 in 2006.
The statistics show the Army must meet its goal of hiring more mental health professionals, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"Today's numbers are a tragic reminder that repeated deployments … are taking a heavy toll," she said.
Suicide rates among Marines have also risen, the Corps' records show. Marine suicides rose from 23 in 2002 to 33 last year, or a rate of 12.5 per 100,000 to 16.5 per 100,000.
May 30, 2008
Pg. 6
By Gregg Zoroya, USA Today
WASHINGTON — The Army recorded 115 soldiers' suicides in 2007, the highest total since it started counting in 1980, the service announced Thursday. That's more than twice the 52 suicides in 2001, the low point reached as the war on terrorism started.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are contributing to the rise, said Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a psychiatric consultant to the Army surgeon general.
Army records show that 65% of the suicides were related to broken relationships and that 37% of the suicides came within 30 days of the end of those relationships. Multiple combat deployments of up to 15 months hurt those relationships, Ritchie said.
"When those relationships break," said Col. Charles Reese, a chaplain, "it tends to be a strong contributing factor to the consideration of death as an option."
Lt. Col. Thomas Languirand said the number of suicides in 2008 are "approximately the same as they were" at this time a year ago.
The increased suicides came as the Pentagon is hiring more mental health specialists and spending more on family support programs. The Army approved the hiring of more than 300 additional mental health professionals and has hired 180 of them. "The Army is very, very busy, and perhaps we haven't taken care of each other as much as we'd like to," Ritchie said.
The 115 deaths amount to a rate of 18.5 per 100,000 soldiers, the highest rate since the Army began keeping records in 1980.
However, the rate is slightly lower than among civilians. The suicide rate among U.S. civilians, when adjusted for age and gender similar to military demographics, was 19.5 per 100,000 in 2005, according to an Army assessment of the latest statistics available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among the 115 military suicides, five were women, 22 were from the National Guard or Army Reserve, and 93 were active-duty Army. Thirty-two suicides occurred in Iraq; four in Afghanistan. One in four of the victims had never deployed overseas.
There also were 935 attempted suicides in 2007, compared with 948 in 2006.
The statistics show the Army must meet its goal of hiring more mental health professionals, said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"Today's numbers are a tragic reminder that repeated deployments … are taking a heavy toll," she said.
Suicide rates among Marines have also risen, the Corps' records show. Marine suicides rose from 23 in 2002 to 33 last year, or a rate of 12.5 per 100,000 to 16.5 per 100,000.