New statistics on suicide within the armed services suggests that the Army had the highest suicide rate among active-duty members in 2014. All branches, however, saw an increase in suicides while the National Guard saw a decrease. No information related to 2015 statistics have been released.
Here are some stats:
– Total suicides: 269 active-duty troops, 69 reserve and National Guard members
– Total suicide attempts: 1,126
– Overall suicide rate: 19.9 per 100,000 troops.
– Army suicide rate: 23.8 per 100,000
In 2012, the military’s overall rate was only 18.3 per 100,000 troops. While 2014’s figures show a slight increase, it’s still far better than the 2012 rate of 22.7. Unfortunately, the Army’s latest suicide statistics are higher than all of these military-wide averages.
The numbers above only really capture suicide amongst active-duty service members, but military veterans also struggle with suicide after formally leaving the service. The veteran suicide rate is commonly reported as 22 deaths per day.
Service members in need can call a military suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255.