Suicide in the US Army

Abstract

Suicide in the US Army is a high-profile public health problem that is complex and poorly understood. Adding to the confusion surrounding Army suicide is the challenge of defining and understanding individuals/populations dying by suicide. Data from recent studies have led to a better understanding of risk factors for suicide that may be specifically associated with military service, including the impact of combat and deployment on increased rates of psychiatric illness in military personnel. The next steps involve applying these results to the development of empirically supported suicide prevention approaches specific to the military population. This special article provides an overview of suicide in the Army by synthesizing new information and providing clinical pearls based on research evidence.

FIGURE

Total active duty (AD) Army suicides and suicide rates vs US population suicide rates by year of suicide (2001-2011). Active duty includes Active Army and activated National Guard and US Army Reserves. Suicides are confirmed or pending confirmation (2 from 2009 and 5 from 2010) by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System. The AD Army and US population rates are age standardized to the 2000 US Census standard population using the age groups 18 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 64 years. Data sources used include the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System, the Defense Manpower Data Center, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, and the US Census. The calculations were performed in July 2012 by the Behavioral and Social Health Outcomes Program, US Army Institute of Public Health, US Army Public Health Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland.