...Suicides in the Military Over the Past 10 Years The most common myths about suicide in the military have changed since the events of September 11, 2001. Previously, it was a white male, between the age of 18-25, with one or more of the following factors: relationship issues, money problems, and job satisfaction. Since the war in Afghanistan stared on Sep 13, 2001, the age has increased from 25 to 44, race does not necessarily matter anymore, and add the pressures of not knowing what is going to happen and always wondering when/if “your time is up”. Along with this, add in the stress of preparing for your deployment, the stress of leaving your family, the stress of ensuring everyone is properly taken care of if the inevitable happens, and the stress of possibly, or actually, losing subordinates or friends to enemy gunfire or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), just to name a few. More males over the age of 30, who have had at least one deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq and have seen some heavy fighting or have lost friends to enemy mortars/rockets on main operating bases, have committed or attempted to commit suicide in the past five years, then ever before. After all the stress of combat, coming home to a life of no danger of snipers or IEDs, mortar/rocket attacks to your base, causes even more stress then people can even imagine. “Flashbacks”, hyper-vigilance, suspicion, and the fear of loud noises are also a major concern and cause undue stress to the sevicemember...
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...A Combat Medics Cry for Help Abstract In our lives we have experienced either personally, anecdotally or through the media of someone who has committed suicide, and being in the military is no exception. Even those that are trained to save lives can as well fall and never stand again. This paper describes my first experience receiving the dreadful call, one of my Combat Medics whom I will call SGT Medic, had committed suicide. The Soldiers’ cry for help and those who heard but did not listen to the warning signs of suicide. A Combat Medics Cry for Help Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) are the back bone of the United States (U.S.) military. We are responsible for the training and leadership instilled in our Soldiers. This NCO had developed into an effective Combat Medic where his duty was to provide emergency medical treatment until further assisted. He lived his life helping others on and off the battlefield. This paper will provide an overview of an NCO Combat Medic battling his own internal daemons from the Iraq war that took away all that training instilled and the ability to adapt. In addition, this paper will give an example on how no matter the amount of training received, the amount of videos seen, numerous times hearing a Chaplain brief on Suicide Prevention there will come a time the warning signs are evident, and you will not react. The Call August 30th, 2015 approximately 19: 30 my husband and I were watching television, and in between commercials reading...
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...about being deployed and not having anything to do on the FOB like he would normally do at home. I tried to assure him every day that the FOB would get better and that it worse when we first got there so I took it upon myself to keep the young soldier up under my wing to assure that the deployment would go by fast and he would be home before he know it nut two days he committed suicide and it bothered me because I felt like I could have done more to save the young soldier. Then after that I went to a suicide prevention class and the speaker spoke on how people should relate to the suicide problem that we have in the military and the different resources that we have if we needed to talk to someone that made me better listener because of the guilt that I felt when the soldier committed suicide I felt like I could have listen more or told the young soldier to go to the chaplain instead of trying to take it upon myself to help the soldier out and the speaker made a lot key points for me to take the guilt away that I was feeling talking about the suicide and listening to the speaker help me get over the suicide and also made me a better listener when it comes down to people and what is going on around me because you never know what might on people’s minds and what they are trying to tell you so it is very important to listen and it also made me a very good speaker because I use to be nervous when I get up to talk to people but when I had to get up speak to the troops in the...
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...have homes at all. Those that are most at-risk though, are the students who are considering or have attempted suicide. Recently, new programs have sprung up to target these students and see to it that they are better able to handle stresses in their lives. One such program is called Sources of Strength and is in place in high schools around NYS. Students in high school who are found to be at-risk for suicide may have trouble at home, but they may also be troubled psychologically or socially outcaste for one reason or another. A suicidal student may be unable to handle stressful situations that normally others can, like breaking up with a boy/girlfriend. These students are at-risk of losing their lives unless aided by an outer force that shows them another way or stops them altogether. Help for these students have mainly been medical. Psychiatrists and psychologists or social workers would be placed in schools to evaluate students and care for those found to be at-risk for suicide. The care extended was normally in the form of either one-on-one counseling or group-counseling which often teenagers at-risk are deterred from and are unwilling to fully participate of their free will. This may lead, for some, to further stress that grow their anxieties and drive their interest in suicide. A relatively new program for students at-risk for suicide was developed in the late 1990s (CHAVIS, 2010). This program, called Sources of Strength, takes a new approach...
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...that people have in their lives, two newspaper pieces I found dealt with a teen suicide, a fourth article, published in a periodical produced by the American Public Welfare Association, looked at the services provided through Missouri’s Family Preservation Service to a young mother in crisis who was trying to take care of herself and a young baby. In the case of the article published in People Weekly, in which a Missouri teenager, with a history of depression, committed suicide after receiving online bullying from the mother of a schoolmate. There are a variety of resources that available to assist someone thinking about suicide on the website for the Missouri Department of Mental Health. The website offers a link to many hotlines to access anonymous support and help. The site offers a link to CHADS Coalition, which is an “organization whose mission is to advance the knowledge and prevention of adolescent depression and suicide through awareness, education and research.” (CHADS Coalition, 2008) There is also the Network of Care, which provides an interactive website for people to get information about mental health services. (Network of Care, 2008) The Department of Health offers training to school counselors on suicide prevention. The training is called QPR and it allows people to provide instruction which typically takes from one to two hours that will provide general awareness about suicide, teach the...
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...Adolescent Suicide: Come Out of the Darkness Introduction Even though adolescents think that there is no other option to there problems, then suicide, I found an organization that personally helped me to understand the necessity of such a group. This organization is The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a leading not-for-profit organization entirely dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide. The foundation also engages in funding scientific research, offers education programs to professionals and the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention and provides resources for survivors of suicide loss. Discussion An adolescent goes through a period of time, where they are shifting from being a child to becoming an adolescent and then moving into adulthood. It is this period that has the most influence on an adolescent because of the changes to their social relationships. Their relationships with their friends become increasingly more important and eventually become the most important relationships to them. The onset of puberty particularly brings a distancing from parents (Galambos, 1992). Some factors of distancing from parents are wanting to spend more time with their peers, risky behaviors – such as unsafe driving, unprotected sex, alcohol and / or drug use and breaking...
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...Health Policy Developing New Policies: Policy Proposal Suicide Prevention Week Eight N. De Shields Instructor Dr. Yasmin Dada-Jones ABSTRACT This policy proposal attempts to abate the increasing number of suicides in the United States, a survey from 2001 to 2009 list fatal self-injuries span world-wide demographics, male and female, age, ethnic disparity and economic disposition. From 1999 to 2007 the number of suicides in the United States increased from 10.46 to 11.26 per 100,000 people, between ages 10 to 24 it is the 3rd leading cause of death, 2nd leading cause in 24 to 35 year olds and the 10th from all age groups. Globally one in every 40 seconds, 800,000 a year, suicide is absolutely preventable, these are not accidents and 90% sought treatment for mental health prior. Thoughts and ideation are higher among young adults’ ages 18 to 25 years where the greatest attempts are made; among 18 and older 8.3 million report having suicidal thoughts, 2.2 million made plans, 1 in every 25 succeed in committing suicide. Between the ages 15 to 24 years old 100 to 200 attempts are made, 500,000 in the United States seek help in emergency rooms; an estimated 6.5 billion in non-fata, self-inflicted medical cost. The initiative seeks to apply ecological approaches normally dedicated to specialized populations; the approach will intrinsically identify suicide victims through venues and or genres. Public suicide prevention efforts could encompass and engage participants via screening...
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...RESEARCH AND PRACTICE Suicide Among Veterans in 16 States, 2005 to 2008: Comparisons Between Utilizers and Nonutilizers of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Services Based on Data From the National Death Index, the National Violent Death Reporting System, and VHA Administrative Records Ira R. Katz, MD, PhD, John F. McCarthy, PhD, Rosalinda V. Ignacio, MS, and Janet Kemp, RN, PhD Since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been increasing interest in suicide among American military veterans. This reflects a number of important issues. First, veterans constitute a sizeable population that has been identified as being at increased risk for suicide by some1,2 but not all,3 research studies. Second, there is increasing evidence that suicide may be a consequence of the stresses related to the experience of deployment and combat.4 Third, there have been concerns about the extent to which the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, has addressed the needs of veterans, especially those who have returned from service in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since the start of OEF and OIF, there have been a number of reports on rates and risk factors for death from suicide among all American veterans, independent of whether they have received VHA health care services,1---3,5---9 as well as a greater number of reports on those who utilize VHA...
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...To: Mayor Eric Garcetti Date: November 19, 2015 Subject: Veteran Suicide Prevention in California (Nationwide) ______________________________________________________________________________ EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: “All I ever considered when I thought about suicide was the guilt I was feeling and just wanting a way out, wanting to not have those memories anymore,” said Clinton Hall, 35, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman and now lives in Portland, Ore. His friend and fellow soldier killed himself shortly after returning home. An epidemic is raging among us and some of us have no idea the problem sits next to the very flag of freedom we encounter throughout our day. Suicide is one of the many causes of death for American military forces. A research project in 2012 reported in Times Magazine regarding active duty members of the military, shows a surprising 349 veterans took their own lives; more than the death from combat operations that year. The Veteran Affairs Department estimates that 22 vets die by their own hand every day. For a veteran, the sound of a firework can spark a flashback of war; while shopping at the aisles of the super market, a veteran may suddenly feel the need to seek cover as it reminds him of being ambushed in Iraq or Afghanistan. The reality is that our patriots are leaving one battle and returning home to another. Some veterans feel ostracized, others are homelessness, have become drug addict,, and are unemployed. These problems relate to...
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...Clay Hunt Sav Act 203 Introduction Approximately twenty two American veterans takes a decision of committing suicide daily. This statistics amounts to around eight thousand and thirty veterans committing suicide annually. Th Act was named after one of the Marine Corporal Clay Hunt originating from Houston Texas. He worked in Afghanistan and Iraq after which he ventured into assisting the veterans after his warfare tours. During the War in Iraq, Hunt was wounded and later diagnosed with post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). The condition was recognized after he went back to the United States. He received a thirty percent disability rating from the VA for this Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). Hunt appealed for the thirty percent rating after he discovered that the post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) prevented him from maintaining his job. Unfortunately, Hunt went out for incredible bureaucratic barriers due his condition which was latter followed by loss of his files by the VA Houston. His disability rating won him the chance to use medical care from VA. Though, he was always in conflict with the medical services and care offered in VA. He continuously faced problems in the medical center due to rescheduling of appointments which made him worry...
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...deployment.48 Approximately 50 percent of returning service members who need treatment for mental health conditions seek it, but only slightly more than half who receive treatment receive adequate care.49 The Army suicide rate reached an all-time high in June 2010.50 In the 5 years from 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces took their own lives, an average of 1 suicide every 36 hours.51 In 2010, the Army’s suicide rate among active-duty soldiers dropped slightly (162 in 2009; 156 in 2010), but the number of suicides in the National Guard and Reserve increased by 55 percent (80 in 2009; 145 in 2010).52 More than half of the Army National Guard members who killed themselves in 2010 had never deployed.53 In 2007, 8 percent of soldiers in Afghanistan reported using alcohol during deployment, and 1.4 percent reported using illegal drugs/substances.54 Between 2004 and 2006, 7.1 percent of U.S. veterans met the criteria for a substance use disorder.55 Mental and substance use disorders caused more hospitalizations among U.S. troops in 2009 than any other cause.56 According to an assessment by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009. Some 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year.57 Cumulative lengths of deployments are associated with more emotional difficulties among military children and more mental health diagnoses among U.S. Army...
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...Civilian Suicide Suicide Suicide has historically been and continues to be a significant issue in the United States, for civilians as well as active duty military service members and veterans. While statistics surrounding suicide appear to be just numbers on a page, I personally implore the reader of the following paper to never lose sight of the fact that those numbers represent real people. Each one of those people, be they civilian or military, represent a loss of a father or a mother, a brother or a sister, a son or a daughter, a best friend, a comrade, …a person whose life, and that life’s potential, is now forever lost. The following statistics on suicide rates in the United States do not differentiate if the individual was a civilian, an active duty service member, or a veteran. According to the Division of Vital Statistics, cause-of-death statistics in 1964, 20,588 individuals reported the cause of death was suicide, equating to an average of 56 suicides per day, making it the 12th leading cause of death in the United States in 1964. The most frequently used means of committing suicide in 1964 were firearms and explosives, “… self-inflicted gunshot wounds accounted for 48 percent of all suicides in 1964” (Massey, 1967). A half century later in 2014, statistical reports compiled by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicate suicide as the 10th leading cause of death, accounting for 42,733 deaths (means used to commit suicide: 21,334 [firearms];...
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...Why I choose this population? Several health care providers may may encounter veterans in need of suicide risk assessment and prevention, but the registered nurse occupies an essential link in this vital role within the veteran affairs hospital .In 2013, a projected 8.9 million (40 percent) veterans out of 21.9 million were predicted to be enrolled at the VA, which suggests many veterans seek health care services inside the VA and will come in contact with the registered nurse during provision of health care services. Evidence indicates patients who commit suicide may visit their primary care physician more than twice as often as they visit a psychiatrist and are more likely to have visited a primary care physician than a mental health clinician...
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...In the United States, suicide rates of veterans have been increasing for the past 15 years, driven in part by the increase in the number of people who have served. There has also been an increase in the suicide rate of the women who have served since 2001. Veterans are also more familiar with using firearms and are, therefore, more successful in there suicides. Many veterans suffer mentally and physically during and after serving our country. Some veterans develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD: National Center for PTSD”). Finding help for veterans will reduce suicide rates. The problem with these suicides is that they can be prevented with the right treatments and therapy. Suicide rates will continue to rise until steps are taken to get these veterans the help they need. The Veteran’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention can partner with and provide information to the health care providers in order to reduce these suicides. (“Suicide.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)...
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...Defense” January 2012. There are many different definitions and views on suicide. Suicide is basically the act of killing yourself. Some definitions are not really based that much in fact, even if they seem reliable. Suicide is a problem in our current society and in our Armed Forces. There are numerous reasons why someone would chose suicide. It is a permanent solution to a more than likely temporary problem. There is a lot we can do to prevent suicide. We as an Army or Nation could declare a suicide prevention day. We can provide better counseling services and information on suicide. The effect of suicide by military service members and veterans is far greater than the numbers can convey. Each case represents, first and foremost, a tragic loss for the families, units and communities. There are also repercussions for public health and national security. We know whether these individuals were experiencing financial, legal or relationship crisis. What we do not yet know is how to stop these suicides, but knowing who they were and what circumstances they faced is a critical first step. Veteran suicides are a different matter. Because veterans are civilians and thus not required to report on themselves, we know little about them. The suicide deterrent at the platoon level and all levels is to recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a service member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. But talking openly about suicidal...
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