In shift, suicides among active military personnel occurring more during wartime than peacetime

A study of nearly 200 years of military data finds that although suicides among active Army personnel typically decreased during wartime, this trend has reversed during recent conflicts. Starting in 1843, the annual rate of suicides increased, reaching a peak of around 118 suicides per 100,000 people in 1883. The rate then decreased in waves that coincided with the end of several wars, including both World Wars. This trend began to shift with the Vietnam War, when 1975 — the year it ended — had a rate of 18 suicides per 100,000 people, the highest in nearly 25 years. Suicide rates during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars also increased, to nearly 30 suicides per 100,000 in 2012. The Vietnam and Afghanistan wars were among the longest in U.S. history, and future research should consider the link between suicides and length of conflict, the authors suggest. 

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (Español: 1-888-628-9454; deaf and hard of hearing: 1-800-799-4889) or the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.