Citation

Ritchie EC. Cerebrum 2012; 2012: 1.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Dana Press)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

23447787

Abstract

The suicide rate of active-duty soldiers doubled between 2003 and 2010. In response, the Department of Defense and the United States Army improved their data collection methods to better understand the causes of military suicides. As retired colonel Dr. Elspeth Cameron Ritchie writes, unit history and the accumulation of stressors-from relationship problems to chronic pain-are significant suicide risk factors among soldiers. But, she argues, Army officials must use this knowledge to design more-effective strategies for suicide reduction, including limiting access to weapons, especially post-deployment, and better connecting soldiers with their communities.

Language: en