Pentagon Report: Crime, Drugs up US Soldiers’ Suicide

A new United States Army report reveals that substance abuse and criminal activity are two central reasons why US soldiers are committing suicide in the Army.

The report, released Thursday at the Pentagon and titled Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention, is the result of a 15-month effort to better understand the alarming increase in suicides.

According to AFP, US commanders are ignoring mental health problems of American soldiers and maintaining the status of many with records of substance abuse and crime the report indicated, pointing out that about 1,054 soldiers who have committed two or more felony offenses are still serving in the army.

"Because of everything we're doing, we have not paid the attention we need to high-risk behavior," said General Peter Chiarelli, the US Army Vice Chief of Staff.

The report counted 160 suicides last year, the highest total ever. The suicide rate in June reached an all-time high record of 32, that is, nearly one suicide per day.

The study counted an additional 146 deaths in 2009 that it reports were due to murder, drug overdoses or other causes the Army deems risky behavior.

In addition, use of antidepressants and painkillers has tripled among US soldiers in the past five years, with latest estimates suggesting about 106,000 soldiers are on some form of depression, anxiety or pain medication, the Financial Times reported.