Conclusion

[Audio] conclusion Without question, suicide rates in the military is at an alarming all-time high and we should pay attention to those in need of help. The ratio to those who died by suicide surpasses the amount of those who died in an act of war. Making use of the resources, spending time with family and enjoy the little things in life is very important to one's mental health. More needs to be done for military personnels and veterans as they make the transition back to being a civilian and return home from deployments. High cost of living makes it difficult for some to provide for their families and enjoy qualities of life which can impact one's mental health..

High suicide rates in the military causes, statistics, factors, the resources and help that is made available to service members. This research also discusses the leading cause and methods. Studies shows that between 9/11 and 2020 suicide rate has been at an all-time high since record keeping after 9/11 with firearm being the leading method of death. Data shows that there has been 30,177 active duty and retiree personnel who died by suicide compared to 7,057 who died in act of war post 9/11. Service members be it active duty or retiree, struggles with PTSD and ongoing deployments. Mental health plays a major part as it relates to suicidal behaviors. Explosions and IEDs leads to brain trauma and the combination of traumatic exposure, chronic pain and physical wounds produces suicidal behavior. Some other proportional factors that can be taken into consideration are age group, ethnicity, gender, married and unmarried..

WHY ARE THERE HIGH INCREASING SUICIDE RATES IN THE MILITARY AND THE HELP AND RESOURCES MAY NOT BE ADEQUATELY EFFECTIVE..

Before diving into my research, let me begin by saying, thank you to all veterans and active-duty service members for your service. Being an active-duty service member comes with lots of responsibilities. It can be very time consuming, full of changes and engagement, being away from family and friends, training, stressful, depressing and frustrating. Retirees may have been through it all but suffers tremendously throughout their career living with PTSD. Let's be reminded that there are different branches which all have diverse purposes and tasks. There are additional stress layers for active-duty members and those who served with the Ups and down of life as they are faced with risk even though there are several cause the can lead up to suicide. (Danielle, D, 2023)..

"Suicide rates among active-duty military members are currently at an all-time high since record-keeping began after 9/11 and have been increasing over the past five years at an alarmingly steady pace." (Danielle, D. Sep 6, 2023) According to a CNN article "the suicide rate among active-duty service members in the US military increased by 41.4% in the five years from 2015 to 2020, according to data provided in the annual report from the Department of Defense on suicide in the military." (Marquardt, A. Kaufman, E. 2021).

Studies and reports shows that there has been 30,177 suicide cases versus a 7,057 service members who were killed in post 9/11 war operation. So, it's safe to say that the amount of service members and veterans who died by suicide outweighs the amount killed in combat operation. According to the Thomas, H, Suitt (2021, June 21) "study finds that at least four times as many active-duty personnel and war veterans of post-9/11 conflicts have died of suicide than in combat, as an estimated 30,177 have died by suicide as compared with the 7,057 killed in post-9/11 war operations"..

There are multiple factors that influence a high suicide rate for military personnels, some of which are "including risks inherent to fighting in any war such as high exposure to trauma, stress, military culture and training, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life." (DoD, 2022a) There are pros and con to being a gun owner as it can be used for protection. However as mentioned in earlier slide about having a gun, according to the DOD (2022b) "firearms were the primary method of suicide death for both Service members and family members.".

Mental health as it relates to suicidal behavior. Many service members have experienced bombing, explosion and exposure to IEDs. These experiences leads to traumatic brain injuries. Modern medical advantages has help them to return to the frontlines in multiple deployments but with PTSD, and physical traumas. Study shows that " The combination of multiple traumatic exposures, chronic pain, and lasting physical wounds is linked to suicidal behaviors." (Thomas, 2023, p.4)..

Figure 1. Active Component Suicide Rates per 100,000 Service Members, CY 2011–CY 2021.

A study of military personnel and veteran's statewide disputes that the highest suicide rate occurs between a younger age group as observed "the county-level distribution of suicides among current military and Veteran decedents aged 18–35 years. This study also compared incident circumstances of death between decedents in high-density counties (i.e., counties with the highest proportion of deaths) versus those in medium/low-density counties to better understand the precipitators of suicide in counties most affected." (Logan et, al 2016, Nov 16).

Suicide Prevention Strategies. A diagram of suicide prevention strategies Description automatically generated.

There are forums, chats lines, websites and organizations that provide resources to get educated, assist, and helping those service members and veterans with suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Just to name a few: Veteran Affair, DSPO, USO, Nation Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Military One Source, Military Crisis Line/Veteran Crisis Line. It is transparent that the system in place needs to do according to the studies and report..

Reference. Desimone, D. (2023, September 6). Concerns Rise Over Military Suicide Rates; Here’s How The USO is Trying to Help. USO. https://www.uso.org/stories/2664-military-suicide-rates-are-at-an-all-time-high-heres-how-were-trying-to-help Marquardt, A. Kaufman, E. (2021). Suicide rate among active-duty service members increased by 41% between 2015 and 2020 https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/30/politics/military-suicide-report/index.html Thomas, H. S. (2021, June 21) High Suicide Rates Among United States Service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars. Watson Institute: Cost Of War. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2021/Suicides DOD. (2022). Prevention efforts focus on fostering quality of life, reducing stigma, and creating a culture of lethal means safety. Department Of Defense. Department of Defense Releases the Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: Calendar Year 2021 > U.S. Department of Defense > Release.

Thomas, H. S. (2021). High Suicide Rates among United States Service Members and Veterans of the Post 9/11. Watson Institute Cost Of War. https://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/papers/2021/Suicide DOD. (2021). Annual Report on Suicide in the Military CY 2021 with CY21 DoDSER. Department Of Defense. Figure 1. Chart. https://www.dspo.mil/Portals/113/Documents/2022%20ASR/Annual%20Report%20on%20Suicid e%20in%20the%20Military%20CY%202021%20with%20CY21%20DoDSER%20(1).pdf? ver=tat8FRrUhH2IlndFrCGbsA%3d%3d Logan et, al. (2016, Nov 6). Suicide Among Military Personnel and Veterans Aged 18–35 Years by County—16 States. American Journal Of Preventive Medicine. 51(5), S197-S208. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749379716302057 Todd, L. C & Karin, A. O. (2019, Sept 26) DOD Takes Public Health Approach to Suicides. https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/2032759/dod-taking-public-health-approach-to- suicides/source/dod-takes-public-health-approach-to-suicides/ Todd, L. C. (2019, Sept 26) DOD Takes Public Health Approach to Suicides. Figure 2. https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/story/Article/2032759/dod-taking-public-health-approach-to- suicides/source/dod-takes-public-health-approach-to-suicides/.