Possible Causes of The Military Suicide Epidemic

NOTES ON MILITARY suicl D E comPARiNG soiciDE RATES NUMBER OF SUICIDES FOR EVERY 100,000 PEOPLE 36 25 19 12 12.5 U.S. U.S. MALE ACTIVE ACTIVE DUTY VETERAN MALE FEMALE 17+ DUTY AND RESERVE THAT's 349 SERVICE ME BER SUICIDES IN 2012 A SERVICE MEMBER COMMITS SUICIDE UPER EVERY DAY THAT'S AROUND 8,000 VETERAN SUICIDES A VETERAN COMMITS SUICIDE EVERY HOUR EVERY YEAR SERVICE MEMBER BREAKDOWN NUMBER OF SUICIDES FOR EVERY 100,000 PEOPLE BY BRANCH 23.7 19.9 14 14.8 ARMY NAVY AIR FORCE MARINES "THIS WE'LL "NOT FOR SELF "AIM HIGH. "ALWAYS DEFEND" BUT FOR FLY-FIGHT-WIN" FAITHFUL" COUNTRY" ACTUAL NUMBER OF SUICIDES IN 2012 BY BRANCH 182 60 59 48 349 SUICIDES TOTAL IN 2012 295 COMBar DEATHS IN 2012 DEMOGRAPHICS OF SERVICE MEMBER SUICIDES ODEPLOYMENT HISTORY : 47% DEPLOYED 53% DID NOr DEPLOY 15% WERE IN DIRECT COMBAT (YEARS) 25 30 35 40 45+ 38% 30% 11% 12% 7%. 2% SUICIDES O AGE: 35% 24% 15% 12% 8% 6% MILITARY POPULATION 5% FEMALE 95% MALE SEX: SUICIDES 15% FEMALES 85% MALES MILITARY POPULATION 6%% ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS 77% WHITE 12% BLACK O RACE: SUICIDES OTHER 70% WHITE 17% BLACK MILITARY POPULATION 4% ASIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS 7% COLLEGE DEGREE 116 64% HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE GED SUICIDES O EDU: OTHER 62%% HIGH SCHOOL DEGREE GED MILITARY POPULATION 11% COLLEGE 43 DEGREE SUICIDES PER 100,00O SERVICE MEMBERS 19 BY EDUCATION SUICIDE RATES 13 GED HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE 8% DIVORCED 55% MARRIED 36% SINGLE MARITAL O STATUS: SUICIDES 56% MARRIED 39% SINGLE MILITARY POPULATION 5% DIVORCED 28 SUICIDES PER 100,000 SERVICE MEMBERS 18 17 BY MARITAL STATUS SUICIDE RATES MARRIED SINGLE DIVORCED CLINICAL HEALTH: 55% 45% NO HISTORY OF BEHAVIORAL DIAGNOSED WITH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH DISORDERS HEALTH DISORDERS THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF DIAGNOSES: 29% SUBSTANCE ABUSE MOOD DISORDERS / DEPRESSION ANXIETY DISORDERS / PrsD 24% 36% TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURIES PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS 5% PERSONALITY DISORDERS VETERAN BREARDOWN POPULATION SUICIDES POPULATION SUICIDES A CLOSER U.S. MALE 2 FEMALE U.S. MALES 17+ COMPARISON STILL SHOWS A GAP 22% 21% 31% VETERANS MAKE UP VETERANS MAKE UP 21% 7%. OF THE POPULATION OF THE MALE POPULATION BUr ACCOUNTS FOR BUr ACCOUNTS FOR 31% 22%% OF ALL SUICIDES OF MALE SUICIDES ODEPLOYMENT HISTORY: 66% DEPLOYED 34% NEVER DEPLOYED 69% OF VETERAN SUICIDES WERE OVER THE AGE OF 50 30 40 50 60 70 80+ 6% 9% 16% 20% 16% 19% 14% VETERAN SUICIDES O AGE: 22% 19% 24% 18% 8% 5%4% NON-VETERAN SUICIDES 3% FEMALE 97% MALE VETERAN SUICIDES o SEX: 26% FEMALE 74% MALE NON-VETERAN SUICIDES 93%. WHITE 5%. BLACK→ O RACE: VETERAN SUICIDES OTHER 88% WHITE 6% BLACK NON-VETERAN SUICIDES 39% г29 DIVORCED 12% 11% MARRIED SINGLE WIDOWED MARITAL STATUS: VETERAN SUICIDES 19% DIVORCED 30% SINGLE 5% 28% MARRIED WIDOWED NON-VETERAN SUICIDES POSSIBLE CAUSES ONE THEORY SUGGESTS THAT THERE ARE 3 PR OTECTIVE FACTORS THAT DETER SOMEONE FROM TAKING THEIR OWN LIFE: (A.K.A. INTERPERSONAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF SUICIDE) BELONGING USEFULNESS AVERSION to PAIN or DEATH PAIN EXPOSURE To TRAINING, VIOLENCE, AGGRESSION, COHESION AND INTERACTIONS, TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IKN THE CAMARADERIE IN THE MILITARY INTRODUCES MILITARY FOSTER A REAL AND DEATH INCREASE INTENSE FEELINGS SENSE OF USEFULNESS IN TOLERANCE FOR PAIN OF BELONGING. EACH MEMBER. AND DULL THE FEAR OF DEATH; EVEN FOR IN CONTRAST, TIME IN CONTRAST, WHEN THOSE WHO HAVE NOT AWAY FROM THE UNIT INTRODUCED BACK DEPLOYED. HENCE THE INTO CIVILIAN JOBS OR PHRASE... MEANS N O DAILY SUPPORT AND GREATER WORSE, UNEMPLOYMENT, FEELINGS OF NOT "PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY" SOLDIERS CAN FEEL BELONGING IN USELESS. CIVILIAN LIFE IN THE MILITARY, BUr MORE SO AFTER THE MILITARY, THESE PROTECTIVE FACTORS BEGIN TO ERODE. THE GREATEST INJURY THAT PUTS A SUICIDE IS NOT PHYSICAL... ITs SOLDIER Ar RISK FOR MORAL. MORAL INJURIES DAMAGE TO DEEPLY HELD BELIEFS ABOUT RIGHT OR WRONG SOMETHING SOMETHING SOMETHING A SOLDIER A SOLDIER DOESN'T DO DONE TO DOES A SOLDIER THE MOST DIFFICULT MORAL INJURIES... FAILING TO PROTECT THEIR BROTHER SURVIVOR's GUILT FRIENDLY FIRE DEATHS OF CIVILIANS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN BEING DISCHARGED FROM THE MILITARY “NEVER LET YOUR BUDDY FIGHT ALONE Hot Lines: (ACTIVE OR VETERAN) Military Crisis Line: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Press 1 Send texts to 838255 or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net to chat Support for deaf/hard of hearing: TTY: 1-800-799-4889 For counseling: WWW.militaryonesource.mil THE ONLINE CHAT, TEXT, AND TIY SERVICE ARE FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, AND AVAILABLE 24/7/365 rO ANY VETERAN AND THEIR LOVED ONES, EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT REGISTERED WITH VA OR ENROLLED IN VA HEALTH CARE. sources: www.t2health.org/sites/default/files/dodser/DODSER_2011_Annual_Report.pdf www.cnas.org/files/documents/publications/CNAS_LosingTheBattle_HarrellBerglass 0.pdf www.va.gov/opa/docs/Suicide-Data-Report-2012-final.pdf www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/01/us-military-suicide-epidemic-veteran www.bigstory.ap.org/article/2012-military-suicides-hit-record-high-349 www.us-military-branches.findthedata.org www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/military-suicides-us-veterans_n_2602602.html www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/02/02/ but-there-isnt-an-epidemic-of-suicide-in-the-us-military/ www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/14/169364733/ u-s-militarys-suicide-rate-surpassed-combat-deaths-in-2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: WWW.ONLINEMILITARYEDUCATION.ORG DESIGNER: ERIC PHILLIPS.NET