Marine Corps Had Highest Active-Duty Suicide Rate of Any Service in 2022, Latest Data Shows
31 Oct 2023
Military.com | By Drew F. Lawrence
The Marine Corps appeared to be struggling with suicide more than any other service branch over the past year, according to an annual Pentagon report on suicide data released last week.
It had the highest rate of active-duty suicides among all of the military services in 2022. The report, which measured the rates per 100,000 service members to account for the varying sizes of the different military branches, also reported that the Marine Corps had its highest suicide rate since 2011.
Overall, suicides decreased in the military last year, though active-duty deaths increased slightly. For the Corps, it saw its worst rate in years -- 61 total deaths, or 34.9 deaths per 100,000 Marines. And despite dips in 2021 and 2019, instances of suicide in the Marine Corps have generally been increasing over the last decade, as with the other services.
Last week, the commandant of the Marine Corps pointed to a nationwide lack of available mental health professionals who are needed to address the problem, adding that everything from "professional help within our units to command climate" was on the table for improvement.
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2023/10/31/marine-corps-had-highest-active-duty-suicide-rate-of-any-service-2022-latest-data-shows.html
