Preventing Suicide - Start Early, Continue Long

The military's - and especially the Army's - suicide rate remains at record highs. In 2009, more than 140 active duty and 70 Reserve Component Soldiers took their lives, exceeding the record-high rate for 2008. Many excellent suicide prevention programs have been put into place by the Services and the Veterans Administration. Nonetheless, service members continue to report feeling stigmatized and having long wait times when they seek help. Since the vast majority of suicides seem to be associated with behavioral health issues, there seems to be a need to do more to make prevention successful.

Dr. David Rudd, a suicide expert from the University of Utah, thinks that behavioral health training and assistance should begin in boot camp/initial entry training (IET) and continue for the rest of a service member's life. Life-long treatment of veterans is especially important if they have had traumatic experiences during military service. According to Dr. Rudd, individuals who are suicidal have certain behavioral characteristics and skill deficits that develop in childhood and adolescence. Thus, the earlier that self-reliance and resiliency training is begun, the better.

Precursors of Suicide in Young People Exaggerated sense of guilt Persistent feelings of shame (being damaged, no good, a burden) Inability to tolerate distress Hopelessness/helplessness in stressful situations Poor self-reliance & self-awareness Poor coping skills Impulsive/aggressive behavior Symptoms/history of depression Source: American Association of Suicidology, University of Utah College of Social & Behavioral Science

Fortunately, the Army's Resilience Training, formerly Battlemind) program begins its training at the IET level and continues through Professional Military Training (PMT) and Operational Military Training (OMT) programs throughout Soldiers' careers. Other excellent training is available electronically for both Active and Reserve Component Soldiers from the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE - webinars, newsletters, and podcasts) and the Army National Guard's Decade of Health (www.decadeofhealth.com - on-line articles and interactive tools, published magazine articles, conference presentations, and podcasts).

Many of these resources are of value to service members after they transition to veteran status. In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is placing increased emphasis on suicide prevention and education. Their publication Strategies for Suicide Prevention in Veterans (January 2009) offers useful information for clinicians and veterans. The VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers (MIRECC) offer a wealth of training material and resources.

Eliminating the stigma associated with seeking help for behavioral issues and thoughts of suicide is essential. Many, many excellent resources are available. Everyone needs to be familiar with them and get the word out to colleagues, Family, and friends.