Dramatic Rise in U.S. Military Suicides Points to Need for Suicide Prevention Training
Suicide is one of the most critical social problems we face today. According to U.S.A. Suicide: 2006 Official Final Data, a report J. L. McIntosh compiled in 2009 for the American Association of Suicidology, an estimated 832,500 suicide attempts are made annually. This number is more than the populations of Staten Island, New York and Tampa, Florida combined (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). According to the report, more than 33,000 people commit suicide every year, making it the 11th most common cause of death in the United States.
Military suicides rise
A recent spike in the number of suicides among active duty and military veterans has brought this issue to new light. In 2009, there were 312 confirmed suicides among service members. This is almost double the rate of suicides in 2005 (Daniel, 2010).
Brigadeer General Loree K. Sutton, the director of Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, states that 30% of military suicides showed signs that they intended to kill themselves. Further, 40% of them had been in treatment within 30 days of their suicide and 26% had sought mental health resources.
“Never in the history of our republic have we placed so much [burden of war] on so few for so long,” Sutton explains. “Suicide has a multitude of causes and no simple solutions” (Daniel, 2010).
Prevention is key
After working in the prevention field for more than 30 years, I believe that nearly 70% of people who attempt suicide talk to a loved one and communicate their intention to harm themselves. The key is recognizing the communication and taking action immediately. If you hear someone talking about killing or harming themselves, take it seriously and help them get assistance.
In our positions as University of Phoenix faculty members, military Graduation Team? members, students and staff, we come in contact with many people. Some of these people are in distress.
You have the opportunity to become a “gatekeeper,” someone who can recognize behavioral factors that put people at risk for suicide. There is reliable information online that can help you prevent a suicide from happening.
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that exists to help organizations establish programs to recognize the warning signs and intervene before it’s too late. On its home page, in the upper right corner, there is a customization option. Click on the pull-down menu and select your position—teacher, student, etc. The page will provide you with information about how best to approach a potential suicide. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK for additional information.
As part of the University of Phoenix community, I believe we all have a responsibility to assist someone in need. We have an opportunity to arm ourselves with information that can help us prevent more suicides.
References
U.S. Census Bureau. (2008). Population Finder. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
