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Preventing suicide is a priority at Europe Regional Medical Command, throughout U.S. Army Europe and the entire Department of Defense. And that priority will be emphasized during Suicide Prevention Month this month as a call to action goes out to all military communities.
“Preventing suicide is everybody’s concern,” said Dr. Maria Crane, a clinical psychologist with ERMC Soldier and Family Support Services. “One suicide is one too many. We all need to work together to prevent unnecessary loss of life.”
In June, 32 Soldiers took their own lives, a record month for the U.S. Army. In 2009, 265 Soldiers committed suicide and the rate so far this year is keeping a similar pace.
Getting individuals who may be contemplating suicide to seek help is what Dr. Crane focuses on.
“Even if the number of suicides goes down, the bottom line is that someone took their own life,” she said. “We can help them before that happens.”
Understanding why people attempt or actually commit suicide is one way Army leaders are addressing the problem. Committing additional behavioral health resources and suicide prevention awareness and training is another.
To better understand reasons for the rising rate of suicides, the Army undertook a 15-month study. Key findings and recommendations were published in the 2010 Health Promotion Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention Report. The report is available at www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide along with suicide prevention resources.
“OPTEMPO, multiple deployments, trauma of war and stress and other contributing factors may influence suicide and high risk behavior,” Dr. Crane said. “Relationship problems or loss is also a common ‘thread’ we have been seeing.”
As with medical problems, behavioral health problems can be treated. To encourage Soldiers to seek counseling, Army leaders have appealed to leaders at all levels to eliminate the stigma of seeking behavioral health.
“Early intervention and prevention is crucial, so we are trying to provide care and treatment where and when Soldiers and family members need it,” Dr. Crane said.
Suicide Prevention Task Force meetings are held regularly with representation by ERMC, U.S. Army Europe, IMCOM-Europe, DODDS, the Chaplain Corps and others to find ways to mitigate suicide and overcome the stigma of seeking behavioral health.
“We all need to reach out and encourage those who need help with their personal problems,” said Dr. Crane, who was part of a committee that wrote the U.S. European Command Behavioral Health Bill of Rights. “Though it may seem like those problems are unsolvable and that the pain will never go away, most of those problems can be solved if you work with others to deal with them objectively.”
Behavioral health specialists are available at all Army health clinics in Europe. For a complete listing, visit http://ermc.army.amedd.mil.
