This video from the USA is called 2009 a Record Year for Army Suicides.
From AFP news agency:
US Army suicides hit grim record for 2009
13 hours ago
WASHINGTON — Suicides in the US Army rose to a new record in 2009, with 160 soldiers taking their lives, the military said Friday, calling it a “painful year.”
Army leaders had warned that the suicide rate was on track to surpass last year’s toll of 140, but said the causes of the spike remain unclear.
“There’s no question that 2009 was a painful year for the army when it came to suicides,” said Colonel Christopher Philbrick, deputy director of an army suicide prevention task force.
Ten suspected cases of suicide in December for active-duty soldiers brought the total number for last year to 160, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The army has come under severe strain from years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, with officers citing repeated deployments and the stress of combat as fuelling an increase in depression and marital problems.
…
Top military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, have appealed to officers to ensure soldiers who need psychological help do not face ridicule or risk to their careers.
…
Officials have also expressed concern about suicides among veterans and among military spouses and family members.
Admiral Mullen’s wife, Deborah Mullen, told a conference this week that more needed to be done to monitor suicides of spouses and members of military families, something the Pentagon does not track precisely.
Often the spouses of service members are reluctant to seek help as they fear it could damage their loved one’s career prospects, she said.
Poll: Majority Of Voters Support Total Repeal Of [anti gay] Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in US armed forces: here.
Are Veterans Being Given Deadly Cocktails to Treat PTSD? Here.
Post-traumatic stress diagnosed using
magnetism:
Post-traumatic stress disorder, which afflicts war
veterans and others, was previously detectable only
through psychological screening.
http://www.world-science.net/othernews/100121_ptsd
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March 8th, 2010 4:53 PM
Utah Air Force base dealing with rash of suicides
Associated Press
Utah’s Hill Air Force Base has hired a psychologist and others to deal with a rash of suicides, mostly among civilians complaining of harsh working conditions.
Ogden Air Logistics Center commander Maj. Gen. Andrew Busch says two civilians and an airman have committed suicide this year.
A Hill spokesman says that brings to at least 25 confirmed suicides since 2006 that were mostly committed off the base.
Bonnie Carroll, a military widow who founded the advocacy group Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, says suicides also have been a problem at Fort Campbell, an Army base in Kentucky and Tennessee.
She says the Defense Department has added thousands of mental health professionals to the ranks of the military because of a greater awareness of the problem.
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