Suicide prevention alliance focuses on troops, veterans

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Suicide prevention alliance focuses on troops, veterans

Posted 1/4/2011

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1/4/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- A suicide-prevention task force for service members and veterans has been added to a national alliance that officials hope will help bring more attention to the issues and offer solutions in the future.

Officials with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention last week announced that service members and veterans -- identified as a high-risk group -- were added because of their increased suicide rates.

"Combined with initiatives already underway by the Department of Defense and the (Department of Veterans Affairs), this task force will further strengthen prevention, bringing together the best minds in the public and private sectors," said Secretary of the Army John McHugh, the co-chair of the alliance.

The alliance was launched last year by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, with input and support of many public- and private-sector stakeholders, including the National Council for Suicide Prevention and VA.

Speaking Sept. 10, 2010 at the launch of the alliance, a public-private partnership, Secretary Gates emphasized the importance of a nationwide approach to suicide prevention. The alliance's strategy pools federal and private-sector research and resources to work on addressing the national suicide rate, he said.

"In everything we do, we must remember that every Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine is part, not just of the military, but also a larger community," Secretary Gates said. "Their families, their hometowns, their civilian employers, their places of worship -- all must be involved in the solution."

The military suicide rate has increased steadily over the past five years, exceeding the national average of 11.1 suicides per 100,000 people. The military last year averaged 12.5 suicides per 100,000, according DOD reports.

The leaders of the alliance's Military and Veterans Task Force are Dr. Jan Kemp, the national director of VA's suicide prevention program, and Maggie Haynes, the director of combat stress for the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization.

In addition to the task force for service members and veterans, the alliance also established suicide-prevention task forces for other groups it determined are at high risk: American Indians and Alaska natives, and youths who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.

(Courtesy of American Forces Press Service)

Comments

5/14/2011 6:48:15 PM ET
Unless your objective is to get out of the Air Force, the last thing you want to do is inform your supervisor or the mental health clinic. They are not going to help you, but rather build a case against you to kick you out of the military. I speak from experience. Your best way to get help is through a chaplain, close family member or psychologist off base. There will be severe repercussions if the Air Force learns of your mental health status. This article is misleading and does not reflect what really happens on base.

John, Florida

4/15/2011 9:44:40 AM ET
I was browsing through the 37th TRW history archives and found 2 interesting reports from 1990 and 1993. They covered 1980 through 1993 and found the same percentages of suicides 8.3-12 as the post above. Looking at both rates partially supports the idea their training is inadequate and missing the aspects of life which people actually commit suicide to end. In these reports they could not determine who or how to reduce the rate.

Phil, Lackland

4/12/2011 11:45:33 AM ET
In the midst of my own suffering what I found was two things. The briefings we get teach us the symptoms of someone who needs help. With the AF culture of peer fear this just means the person who needs help will be avoided, isolating them further. The second thing is the best advice they can give is find a support system..family, church.. In my case it was the loss of these very things I was dealing with. One of my coworkers said it perfectly, 'Why are we waiting for it to get to the point where we need to rescue each other from suicide Why can't we just get to know new people and treat each other with respect and kindness in the first place.'

Amber, Nebraska

3/11/2011 4:21:51 PM ET
What can we reasonably expect from our Airmen? Has anyone attempted to quantify a reasonable workload? We are constantly asked to do more with less. It is no wonder that people see no relief in sight. I know people who have sacrificed relationships with their friends and family to remain in the military. In Japan, they have a term for being worked to death KAROSHI. One of the results of KAROSHI they have identified is suicide. We should take a lesson from the Japanese and learn about KAROSHI. I wonder if anyone is really listening to what is being said here.

Lenny, WV

1/13/2011 1:33:49 PM ET
I have a lot of opinions regarding this topic. I too am a suicide attempt survivor. One with good sense would think that because we are amping up our suicide prevention training that the suicide rates would decrease. That isn't the case. I too find the briefings and training insulting they teach absolutely nothing. The reason why the rates have not decreased is due to the fact that the military has put such a negative stigma on mental health and suicide issues. We often hear that if we need to talk to anyone or if we feel suicidal that there are many outlets to go to to receive treatment. They are also trying to give off the impression that there is no shame in seeking help. I found that when i sought treatment after my attempt that there absolutely was shame in what I had done. My career suffered greatly because of my attempt and I was forced to go to all of these group therapy sessions regarding alcohol abuse because the night I tried to overdose I had used alcohol.

Taylor, Texas

1/13/2011 8:38:52 AM ET
Suicide prevention has nothing to do with powerpoint presentations and someone trying to strike an emotional response from them. The other services have had better success in preventing suicides for one reason Unit Cohesiveness. When there are commanders and SNNCO's playing the game of Do what I say not, what I do why would an Air Force member have a feeling that they can trust their fellow airmen? If they can't trust their fellow airmen they aren't going to feel comfortable talking to someone if they are feeling down. Perhaps this will be a wake up call for Air Force leadership to stop acting like a bunch of spoiled politicians who are just trying to keep their poll numbers high and to start acting like leaders that have some integrity.

Rob, Texas

1/12/2011 4:41:08 PM ET
As a mother that has lost a child to suicide I am glad they are doing this. I never realized how many people died by suicide until I lost my son to suicide. Since the loss of my son I look at people different. I have become more aware of things. When you see someone walk by that doesn't even acknowledge your smile or how are you, or someone that seems upset or angry I stop and think, you don't know what they are going through in life if they have lost a loved one, problems at home or many other thousands of things. You never know if your smile or hello helped that person get through their day. We the people of the United States need to look after one another including our people in the military. You do not know the things they may have witnessed in my opinion some of these things are probably more than what a human mind can handle.I am glad they are doing these breifings we need to know the signs. We need to help one another.

Monica, Warner Robins

1/12/2011 11:07:19 AM ET
Personally, what I believe is that it isn't the Middle East. It is the squadrons themselves. As for my squadron, we have had quite a few people think about committing it and it mostly is about new changes in the squadron that increases stress and the higher ups. I have seen people grow from bad to worse just from changes. I am speaking from experience, from depression, that individuals with power and rank need to think and review on how it will affect people under them before they act upon something. Most of them don't.

Eric, Florida

1/12/2011 7:34:20 AM ET
I think some of the increase is due to the fact that you have a lot of personnel returning from Middle East and other areas they are trying to fit in after being a 3rd world area and seeing some pretty awful stuff the decompressing time and still trying to get to know your family and friends and just trying to fit back in is major factors - alot of employees don't realize this. We have a lot of veterans coming back with short term memory loss - VA doesn't recognize this as serious - but try to work and the employer isn't getting this problem - all they see is repeating things between the stress of trying to fit back in and holding a job - the frustation anguish and worry - leds to end - they feel like failures. This is a big adjustment and too many are just run thru the system - VA you need to help more.

Laura Davenport, Robins AFB GA

1/11/2011 7:11:45 PM ET
As a widow of one who committed suicide I am very glad the AF is making a bigger push for suicide awareness. It helps people to know what to look for and it also helps to be able to speak to those unknown folks out there who may be thinking about committing suicide the affects it can have on the loved ones who are left behind. I've been able to basically give my testimony at one of our briefings and even if I touched one person with my story it's worth it to say it over and over again to just save one life. Of course I'll never know if my story helped anyone but I would like to think it did. So go Air Force. Spread the word to help those look for signs and please be sure to push home to those who may be thinking about it how very much their lives touch those around them and their loss would be devastating.

Danielle, Hawaii

1/11/2011 2:43:32 PM ET
As one who has a long history, treatment for suicidal thoughts the briefings I have recieved are usually insulting. The AF focus on making supervisors and peers responsible for the personal choices of people they are around is only pushing blame to those that are still alive and teaching them that they should have seen something though everything that is pointed out in the briefings are normal conversation within the military. Most members separate their personal life from work. We are expected to act in a specific way and we generally do. Then as we travel home we act as an individual.The reality is yes some people express symptoms. But with our work loads and attempts to separate the serious from the daily humor we cannot expect to find them. For myself I was taught what not to do by the briefings and nobody had any clues. For those that do commit suicide its a personal choice and not the fault of those around them. Dying is part of life.

Phil, Texas

1/11/2011 9:06:30 AM ET
My concern is not that suicide prevention is causing more suicides. But it is training all of us to avoid the normal signals. If a person is thinking about committing suicide and has already set there mind to it they know how to avoid letting those around him know what they have planned.

Richard Martin, Tinker AFB

1/11/2011 9:04:39 AM ET
I find it sad that someone who has spent 25 years in the milatary finds anythig about suicide ironic. Just because people do not talk about something does not means it goes away. I ask you this, can we afford to ignore the increase in suicide? Hopefully you answered no.

Jon , Peterson

1/10/2011 7:22:59 PM ET
I wonder if anyone has done a study showing the increase in suicide rates compared to the repetitive briefings we receive on suicides It seems like all of the briefings have a negative affect instead of preventing suicides the more we talk and hear about suicides the more it seem to glorify the act or show it as an alternative. Now we have a prevention alliance. I don't see this as correcting the problem, and I would not be surprised to see rates continue to increase. We recently had the CMSAF visit our base and talk about the increase in suicides in the Air Force. Ironically shortly afterward someone left an anonymous note in a restroom stall that they were planning on committing suicide. I find it ironic that we have increased our suicide awareness and prevention training more over the last five years than my 25 years in the Air Force and our suicide rates have increased along with the frequency of these briefings and required training via CBTs or ADLS.

Ken, Oklahoma

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