US army suicide rates keep soaring
Source: Alalam.ir, 29-05-2008
WASHINGTON-US army suicide rates soared again last year to the highest number in almost two decades amid increased violence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Two US defense officials said Thursday that 108 troops committed suicide in 2007, six more than the previous year.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.
About a quarter of the deaths occurred in Iraq.
The overall toll was the highest in many years, and it was unclear when, if ever, it was previously that high.
Immediately available army records go back only to 1990 and the figure then was lower -- at 102 -- for that year as well as 1991.
The 108 confirmed deaths in 2007 among active duty soldier and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was lower than previously feared.
Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops may have killed themselves.
Suicides have been rising almost steadily during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven-year-old war in Afghanistan.
The 108 deaths last year followed 102 in 2006, 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004.
The increases come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by long and repeated tours of duty.
The number of troops with new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder also jumped by roughly 50 percent in 2007.
Records show roughly 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with the illness, also known as PTSD, since 2003, with many more likely keeping their illness a secret.
Defense officials had not previously disclosed the number of PTSD cases from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army statistics showed there were nearly 14,000 newly diagnosed cases across the services in 2007 compared with more than 9,500 new cases the previous year and 1,632 in 2003.
Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker attributed the big rise over the years partly to the fact that officials started an electronic record system in 2004 that captures more information.
He also blamed increased exposure of troops to combat in 2007 because of President Bush's troop buildup and the fact that 2007 was the most violent year in both conflicts.
Increasing the strain on the force last year was the extension of deployments to 15 months from 12 months, a practice that is being terminated this year.
More US troops died in hostilities in 2007 than in any of the previous years in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Overall, violence increased in Afghanistan with Taliban resurgence and overall deaths increased in Iraq.
WASHINGTON-US army suicide rates soared again last year to the highest number in almost two decades amid increased violence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Two US defense officials said Thursday that 108 troops committed suicide in 2007, six more than the previous year.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.
About a quarter of the deaths occurred in Iraq.
The overall toll was the highest in many years, and it was unclear when, if ever, it was previously that high.
Immediately available army records go back only to 1990 and the figure then was lower -- at 102 -- for that year as well as 1991.
The 108 confirmed deaths in 2007 among active duty soldier and National Guard and Reserve troops that had been activated was lower than previously feared.
Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops may have killed themselves.
Suicides have been rising almost steadily during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven-year-old war in Afghanistan.
The 108 deaths last year followed 102 in 2006, 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004.
The increases come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by long and repeated tours of duty.
The number of troops with new cases of post-traumatic stress disorder also jumped by roughly 50 percent in 2007.
Records show roughly 40,000 troops have been diagnosed with the illness, also known as PTSD, since 2003, with many more likely keeping their illness a secret.
Defense officials had not previously disclosed the number of PTSD cases from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army statistics showed there were nearly 14,000 newly diagnosed cases across the services in 2007 compared with more than 9,500 new cases the previous year and 1,632 in 2003.
Army Surgeon General Eric Schoomaker attributed the big rise over the years partly to the fact that officials started an electronic record system in 2004 that captures more information.
He also blamed increased exposure of troops to combat in 2007 because of President Bush's troop buildup and the fact that 2007 was the most violent year in both conflicts.
Increasing the strain on the force last year was the extension of deployments to 15 months from 12 months, a practice that is being terminated this year.
More US troops died in hostilities in 2007 than in any of the previous years in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Overall, violence increased in Afghanistan with Taliban resurgence and overall deaths increased in Iraq.
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