Military Suicides Essay - 2679 Words

Among American civilians, whites have historically and significantly led the way in the rates of suicides. Although leveling off after the 1990’s, the rate of white suicides has still been almost twice as much as minority groups. It has also been shown that males commit suicide significantly more than females. Figure 1 Figure 2 As the rate of suicides increases in our nation, it has risen consistently with white males leading the way, as shown in figures 1 and 2. There are many theories behind what is driving this, however there are no hard facts behind any of these theories and there is still no concrete reason why white males are more prone to commit suicide. A very important group within the American population has been†¦show more content†¦Since 2009, suicide rates among those on active-duty status have stabilized at approximately 18 per 100 000. It is important to know the factors driving this increase for many reasons. The most important thing we can get from this is a better to way to both prevent and treat victims faced with thoughts of suicide. Figure 3 A widely believed cause of this increase in suicides lies mostly on combat aspects. Being in the military is a lifestyle that is truly physically draining. The day to day life of being in the military is stressful. Multiple tours, increased stress, longer hours ‘repetitive deployments and much longer deployments, being away from friends and family more than in the past than in recent years can be believed to take a heavy toll on service members. The Rand Corporation issued in a report on military suicides that states that the US involvement in conflicts since 2001 has taken a toll on the service that has manifested itself in increased suicides. Dr. Brian Craig, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University Of Texas Health Science Center, says that it is not just the traumatic events but the day to day stressors of combat that cause problems. He is also the lead risk management advisor for the DOD Strong Star Research Consortium and found in his research that it is â€Å"not being able to sleep in a comfortable bed, not having access to warm,Show MoreRelatedMilitary Suicides1010 Words   |  5 Pages3 March 2015 Informative Speech Outline Title: Informative Speech Main Idea: Suicides and the Military Thesis Statement: At the end of my informative speech, my audience will know more about the Military Suicide Issue and how the number of military or veterans deaths by suicide has been increasing at an alarming rate, the common misconceptions about the possible reasons why current and former military members are taking their own lives and finally what is being done to try and resolve this issueRead MoreEssay on Suicide in the Military2234 Words   |  9 Pagesï » ¿ Suicide in the Military Candace L. 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This is a dangerous issue considering the close link between PTSD, suicide, and depressionRead MoreEssay on Never Leave a Soldier Behind1059 Words   |  5 PagesUnited States government and the services are not doing enough to protect the soldiers from suicide, while others claim the government has it as their top priority. After the sacrifices these heroes have given, it is their right to the best services and help, to get them back to the life they deserve to live, regardless of the cost. Is it true that the Armed forces are failing to prevent suicides? The suicide rate increased by about fifty percent from 10.3 per 100,000 people in 2001 to 15.8 percent