According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, between 2005 and 2007, suicide rates among individuals serving in U.S. military services increased, particularly among those in the regular Army and National Guard.
The study, which included the entire active duty U.S. military population (2,064,183 individuals for 2005 and 1,981,810 for 2007), found that between 2005-2007 suicide rates for all services increased. Furthermore, they identified risk factors associated with suicides including:
- Mental health diagnoses
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- Mental health visits
- Reduction in rank
- Sleep prescriptions
- Enlisted rank
- Separation or divorce
Among all services in the 2007 population and the Army in 2005, deployments to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom were linked to increased risk.
The researchers believe that the extended duration of war and the increasing lengths of individual deployments for Air Force and Army personnel were responsible for the elevated risks linked to deployments in 2007, compared with 2005.
The researchers conclude:
“Additional research needs to address the increasing rates of suicide in active duty personnel. This should include careful evaluation of suicide prevention programs and the possible increase in risk associated with SSRIs and other mental health drugs, as well as the possible impact of shorter deployments, age, mental health diagnoses, and relationship problems.”
Written By Grace Rattue