Army, USAF have lost no Active Duty members to Covid, yet Suicide rates rise

As suicide cases rise, Army leaders encourage Soldiers to recognize warning signs

By Joseph Lacdan, Army News Servic

The Army has not lost a single active-duty Soldier to the COVID-19 pandemic, the service’s top uniformed leader said Thursday. But the restrictions following the virus’ onset may have affected the mental health of some Soldiers.

NOTE: USAF suicides number 98 as of mid Sept.

The Army reported that the active-duty suicide rate has risen in 2020, following the implementation of stay-at-home restrictions in March.

The Army’s senior leaders have met each month to address suicide prevention and how to mitigate cases.

Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville cited suicides as one of the three most difficult issues currently faced by the Army. The other two are sexual harassment/assault and extremism. McConville called suicides the “hardest” problem to solve among the three.

“One of my biggest concerns is that we have young men and women who think things have gotten so bad that they don’t want to live,” McConville told Soldiers from his Pentagon office during a livestream of the 2020 Army Fires Conference. “All of us go through adversity in life. And all of us need a helping hand. All of us fail. When people fail, you’ve got to be there for them.”

Numbers began to increase in the last quarter of 2019 through the third quarter of 2020, and continued to increase since the pandemic’s onset, said James A. Helis, head of the Army Resilience Directorate. He added that neither the National Guard nor the Army Reserve have seen a significant change in suicide numbers.

“We don’t know what is causing this persistent rise. We can say that it’s been recognized by Army leadership at all echelons,” Helis said. “Army leadership is committed to solving and addressing this problem.”

McConville said responsibility falls upon each Soldier to recognize suicide warning signs. Among them are financial problems and a lack of interest in work tasks.

Army leaders cannot definitively attribute COVID-19 as the reason for the spike, but acknowledge the timeline coincides with the pandemic’s spread. Even in the midst of a pandemic that McConville said he does not expect to end any time soon, Soldiers still must be tasked for missions and deployments as well as attend training.

Soldiers with Families also had to cope with the loss of childcare for a period of time and many had to assist their children with remote schoolwork. The combined factors of pandemic restrictions and uncertainty while meeting duty standards could lead to added stress, Helis said.

“All of those things can amplify risks for behavioral health issues and potentially risks for death by suicide,” he said. “So, we know that there was an increased strain on the force.”

Soldiers can help

McConville said he learned about a sergeant major who recently rescued a sergeant first class from suicide by intervening at the right time. The general urged Soldiers to follow the sergeant major’s example by stepping in when they suspect a colleague may be considering taking their own life.

Soldiers must find strength by leaning on fellow unit members and dealing with adversity as a group, McConville said.

When the pandemic began, the Army had many Soldiers telework for the first time and restrictions separated many from their units, which could have led to feelings of isolation. Army leaders encouraged Soldiers to have face-to-face meetings while still meeting safety requirements to assess warning signs of suicide or depression. And if Soldiers cannot meet in person they can host teleconferences that allow supervisors to assess the well-being of their troops.

“That’s been a point of emphasis: that physical, face-to-face, interpersonal interaction with your Soldiers,” Helis said. “There’s virtual means where you can lay eyes on somebody. You just have to be creative, but also have to be diligent in finding those opportunities.”

Soldiers with suicidal thoughts can seek help by calling the Military Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255.

Soldiers can also contact their post’s military health clinic, their supervisor or their unit chaplain.

Soldiers can overcome fear from failure in their military careers or home life with the support of their squads in the Army or in life, said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston.

“Don’t be afraid to go through tough times,” Grinston said during the conference Wednesday. “It’s going to make us stronger.”

Grinston said during his first weekend of active duty at what is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, fellow Soldiers invited him and others living in the barracks to go skiing in the mountains. He said he could count on his fellow Soldiers to uplift him and said that today’s Soldiers should do the same.

“That’s the value of life,” he said. “And it’s not what I want or what I don’t have. It’s what I have right in front of me. And every day, it’s there. We just have to sometimes show each other what it means to be alive.

1 Oct,

Department of Defense (DOD) released its second Annual Suicide Report (ASR).  The Department is committed to the health, safety, and well-being of Service members, veterans, and families – every death by suicide is a tragedy.  

The ASR for calendar year (CY) 2019 presents recent suicide data for Service members and their families, and describes current and future efforts underway to combat suicide.  The report includes new Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act reporting requirements, and represents the Department’s continued commitment to provide timely information on this critical issue and transparency on our efforts.

“The loss of every life is heartbreaking, and each suicide carries a deeply personal story.  Every suicide has wide-reaching impacts on families, friends, peers, the broader military community, and the nation as a whole.” said Dr. Elizabeth Van Winkle, executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency.  “Preventing these tragedies is one of our foremost priorities, and we are working to help all Service members understand that if they ever feel alone, they are not.  The Department offers a variety of resources, including confidential options, to help support members as they navigate life’s inevitable challenges.”

Dr. Karin Orvis, director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office added, “Collaborations are key to preventing suicide; we must continue to collaborate on research, data sharing, outreach, and other key efforts with other Federal agencies, nonprofits, and academia.  We will also continue to take a focused approach to program evaluation to assess existing policies and programs, as well as implement, as appropriate, evidence-informed initiatives gathered from the ever-evolving science on suicide prevention.  We still have a long road ahead of us, but we will not relent in our efforts.  We owe this to our Service members and families defending our Nation.”

Data from the CY 2019 ASR

In CY 2019, there were 498 Service members who died by suicide.  The ASR for CY 2019 shows that – taking into account the total number of service members in the military each year – the CY 2019 suicide rate for the Active Component is statistically comparable to CY 2017, but not going in the right direction; while the Reserve and National Guard rates are statistically lower than CY 2017.  Looking more long-term, the rates have increased in the Active Component since CY 2014, while remaining statistically consistent for the Reserve and National Guard between 2014 and 2019.  We see continued risk for young and enlisted members.  Military suicide rates are comparable with the U.S. adult population, after accounting for age and sex, for Active Component and National Guard, and lower for the Reserve.