Citation

Sevier D. N. Carol. Med. J. 2023; 84(2): 91-92.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Medical Society of the State of North Carolina)

DOI

10.18043/001c.72998

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

...Recent research by the Military Suicide Research Consortium shows that when asked why they tried to kill themselves, military individuals indicated that out of 33 answer choices one particularly resonated: the desire to end intense emotional distress.2 Something is indeed pushing veterans in particular to end their lives, with their rate of suicide currently 1.5 times that of their age contemporaries in the greater society.3

Additional studies suggest that other significant issues also contribute to the rise in severe mental health crises facing veterans today: multiple side effects of both prescribed and illicit drugs, lack of family and intimate relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic and its overall implications, underlying psychological challenges, and, unsurprisingly, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).4 PTSD is particularly experienced by a subset of those who are engaged in or who witness traumatic events, such as in combat. Importantly, the incidence of PTSD is over twice as high among women veterans as men,5 suggesting that the well-documented sexual abuse and violence in military life adds significantly to mental health issues.

Language: en