A record number of US soldiers committed suicide in 2021. By Age TimesThe number of suicides in the military last year was 176, the highest in the history of observations since 1938 in the army’s troop units.
The publication states that the suicide rate started in 2015. Experts point out that the military is at risk due to an increased risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Clinical psychologist and owner of Flourish Mental Wellness in Scottsdale, Arizona, Dr. Danielle McGraw explained that when people are stressed, it can lead to feelings of hopelessness that can turn into thoughts of hurting themselves.
Another contributing factor is a sense of shame, which often influences the decision to end one’s own life.
Former Army engineer and US Army veteran John Nelson said soldiers often find themselves in situations that can seriously affect their mental health.
He remembers how members of the platoon had to remove human remains from bombed vehicles. Nelson says the recruits return to base in a “different” way at the end of the day.
Psychiatrist Tracey Lutz said that the veterans she worked with felt that they were primarily used as pawns for the political power of the state, and that they did not feel any real purpose in their duties.
The 2021 Blue Star Families Military Lifestyles survey shows that eight out of 10 active-duty people have separated from their families in the past 18 months. In addition, 31 percent did not leave the house for six months or more.
Previously reportedMore than 3.4 thousand US soldiers have committed suicide since the beginning of 2015, almost 1,000 more than killed in 20 years of military operations in Afghanistan. Since the beginning of 2022, the US Army has recorded 72 suicides.
To prevent suicide in the military, the Senate developed legislation requiring the Pentagon to monitor suicide attempts among soldiers by monitoring the mental health of soldiers and officers and analyzing information on personnel.
The bill’s author, Senator Angus King, recommended that military leadership focus on positions whose representatives most often commit suicide.
Marines and officers of the George Washington aircraft carrier, which has been in repair since 2017, interrogated because of the suicide wave
In April 2022, three crew members of this ship committed suicide. And last year, seven of the aircraft carrier’s crew died, four of whom committed suicide. The command suggested that the reason lay in the restless life of sailors who had to live on an aircraft carrier.
Source: Gazeta
