The suicide rate in the armed forces has increased since 2008. Briefly summarize what is known about suicide in the military. Suggest at least two implications of this knowledge for preventing suicide among military personnel.
What will be an ideal response?
Ans: Somewhat counterintuitively, it does not seem that deployment itself or combat experience is related to suicide among armed forces personnel. Suicide attempts tend to happen most often early on in service and are related to leaving the military after less than 4 years of service. Females and those with less than a high school education are more likely to attempt suicide, as are those who leave without an honorable discharge. These findings suggest that improving enlistees’ orientation to service and to the military culture may be more effective avenues of suicide prevention that limiting or spacing out deployments. Development of coping and problem-solving skills and techniques for finding and marshaling social support might be ingredients of this orientation, especially for female personnel and for those with less education.
Learning Objective: 6.6 Discuss the risk factors for suicide, its prevention, and its connection with mental illness.
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