Citation

Barrett M. J. Mil. Veteran Fam. Health 2018; 4(2): 117-120.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, University of Toronto Press)

DOI

10.3138/JMVFH.2017-0037

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Building on research into historical, public, and institutional perceptions of suicide, this article assesses the role of commemoration and remembrance in government, medical, and military responses to suicide within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). It provides an overview of how stakeholders and policy-makers have balanced commemoration with concerns over triggering a contagion effect in certain at-risk populations. The prevailing cultural beliefs of institutions and the public shape how military casualties have been defined and to what extent these deaths have been formally honoured. This article aims to prompt further research in the fields of history, epidemiology, sociology, and psychology into public attitudes toward suicide. Future interdisciplinary studies will provide stakeholders with a nuanced understanding of how the different priorities of the public, government, and the media influence their respective responses to the issue of suicide in military and Veteran populations. © 2018 Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Media; Military; Veterans; Commemoration; Contagion effect