The suicide rate for U.S. troops has hit its highest mark in the past half-decade.
The Pentagon released a report Thursday showing that the suicide rate among active duty service members reached 24.8 per 100,000 people in 2018, according to USA Today. In 2013, 18.5 died by suicide per 100,000 troops.
The report showed that 325 troops died by suicide over the course of 2018, an increase of 40 from the year prior. The higher total was driven largely by a 25% increase in suicides among Army troops and a 15% increase in the Marine Corps.
“Just as we talk about physical fitness, marksmanship, training, and education — Marines must also be comfortable discussing life’s struggles, mental wellness and suicide,” Marine Corps commandant Gen. David Berger said in a statement.
The new report comes days after the Department of Veterans Affairs released a report showing that 6,000 U.S. veterans have committed suicide every year for the past decade.
