The Pentagon released its long-awaited, second-quarter suicide data in October, again declining to comment on rising suicides that took place during coronavirus lockdowns and prompting Congress to act to help veterans and active-duty service members.
The Army was the hardest-hit service, with a 20% rise in suicide deaths over 2019 figures. Some 67 soldiers died by suicide through the first half of 2019, compared to 81 in the first half of 2020.
Across the services, the second-quarter period of April 1 to June 30 registered 10 additional active-duty service members deaths by suicide compared to the same period in 2019 (82 versus 72 suicide deaths).
All Reserve components also registered higher suicide numbers in quarter two compared to 2019, with the Army Reserve registering 10 additional suicides and the Marine Corps Reserve registering eight additional suicides. Guard numbers were down slightly, with 46 suicides, compared to 51 in 2019 after a concerted outreach effort.
Across all service components, there have been 306 suicide deaths through June 20, 2020, compared to 302 suicide deaths through the first two quarters of 2019.
The quarterly report makes no predictions for year-end totals or evaluations of root cause. Instead, it only emphasizes that the Department of Defense is committed to preventing suicides.
The second-quarter report, however, acknowledges that the coronavirus does have a mental health impact.
“DoD recognizes the potential impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of our Service members and families,” the report states. “We are closely monitoring potential impacts and proactive steps to mitigate those potential impacts from COVID-19.”
Servicewide, the Pentagon pushed to emphasize its efforts to reach service members in distress.
Lee Kelley, the director of the military community support programs, said relationship stress is a primary factor leading to depression among service members.
“Relationships are the top reason that service members and families seek nonmedical counseling through some of the programs that I work with,” she said.
Congress steps in
Former member of the Iowa National Guard, Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, filed legislation Friday to increase funding for national suicide prevention from $7.2 million to $20 million per year.
“This bipartisan bill will help increase the surge capacity of our nation’s suicide prevention lifeline and mental health crisis centers,” she said in a statement.
Earlier the same week, Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin highlighted that more than 6,100 veterans are lost to suicide each year.
The senator was successful in passing into law legislation that created the suicide and crisis hotline number “9-8-8.”
Once the number is activated by the Federal Communications Commission, veterans can press “1” to be directed straight to the Veterans Crisis Line.
“Death by suicide is a severe problem in the veteran community with about 17 veterans committing suicide every day, on average,” Baldwin noted in a statement.
