Thursday, October 07, 2010
Suicide attempts among U.S. Army personnel continue to climb, reaching an average of nearly five a day in 2009. Statistics from the Army reveal that more than 1,700 active-duty soldiers tried to kill themselves last year, with 162 succeeding. If reservists are included, the total climbed to 239.
In 2001, the Army’s suicide rate was about 10 per 100,000 people, compared to 19 per 100,000 among the civilian population. By 2008, the Army’s rate had jumped to 20, and today it is estimated to be 24 and still rising.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Dark Hour (by Katherine McIntire Peters, Government Executive)
Soldier Suicides and the Dumbing Down of Military Mental Health Care (by Scott Mendelson, Huffington Post)
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