Army Finds 'Alarming' Rise in Suicides, Risky Behavior

(July 29) -- Increasing rates of drug abuse among soldiers and deteriorating leadership oversight are among the problems contributing to an alarming rise in suicides and other mental-health-related problems, according to a new Army report.

The Army released the Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report today, providing a strikingly frank portrait of the service's problems with suicide. Not only have suicide rates increased drastically over the past several years, but there has been a breakdown in the leadership and care needed to prevent those deaths, the report notes.

During the last fiscal year, 239 soldiers committed suicide, the reports notes, and over 1,700 more attempted suicide during that same time. A contributing factor in those suicides is so-called "high-risk behavior," such as drinking, drug abuse and crime.

"When we examined the circumstances behind these deaths, we discovered a direct link to increased life stressors and increased risk behavior," the report states.

The 15-month study stemmed from a series of visits that Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, made to six military installations to look at suicide prevention programs. For many years, the military had lower rates of suicide than those found in the general population. However, that started to change in 2004, says the report, and by 2008, the Army rate exceeded that of civilians.

But perhaps the report's most striking observation is this: When accidental deaths, frequently the result of high-risk behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse, are included, fewer soldiers die in combat than die by their own actions. "Simply stated," the report concludes, "we are often more dangerous to ourselves than the enemy."

Perhaps it's not surprising that the stress of extended deployments to support ongoing military operations had led to increasing suicides, but the report also notes that problems with drug and alcohol abuse have risen at "alarming rates."

"This comprehensive review exposes gaps in how we identify, engage and mitigate high-risk behavior among our soldiers," Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said in a statement released with the report. "After nearly a decade of war, we must keep pace with the expanding needs of our strained Army, and continuously identify and address the gaps that exist in our policies, programs and services."

The question for the Army now is how to reverse this trend. While there are no easy solutions, the report recommends addressing the issue as a matter of "care continuum," which covers a wide variety of issues including discipline and traditional health care.

"It's clear that the Army feels the same heartache that all Americans feel when even one service member takes his or her life, and the Army deserves praise for its honest and comprehensive study on suicide prevention," Ike Skelton, D-Mo., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement about the new report.

"As a result of this study, the Army better understands how the stress of nearly 10 years of war has hindered the effectiveness of policies and programs designed to track the welfare of its people."