Suicide in the military

While suicide rates in military organizations vary internationally, official statistics in several countries show a consistently higher risk in certain subgroups.

[12] A study of the US army found that the career stage carrying the greatest suicide risk was not deployment, but initial military training,[13] as a time of disorientation and stress.

[14] Individuals most at risk of suicide during or after a military career include those who: had a troubled childhood;[10] are of low rank;[3][4][1][15][16] have close-combat roles in war;[4][17] and/or leave service soon after joining.

[3][8][18] Certain other known risk factors for suicide are common in military life, including depression,[19] posttraumatic stress disorder,[20] alcohol misuse,[20][21] bullying[22][23][24][25] and sexual harassment.

[26][27][28][29] Variations in the suicide rate in military populations may also signify changes in the prevalence of related mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and histories of self-harm.

In the UK, for example, those who enlist young have been found to face an increased risk of self-harm[32] and suicide[8][2] after leaving the armed forces, relative both to older personnel and to their civilian peers.

[3][5][8] The table below shows the rate of suicide among the youngest age groups for which data are collected in three countries (note varying date ranges).

A study of the US army found the peak period for attempted suicide not to be during or after deployment, but initial training,[13] a time of prolonged psychological coercion, disorientation and stress.

[36] Since adolescents with an adverse childhood background are relatively susceptible to the toxic effects of prolonged stress,[40][41][42][43] some health professionals have argued that the coercive resocialisation involved in initial military training may load a particularly heavy psychological burden on these younger recruits, as may any traumatic war experiences later.