Military suicides rose in 2023, continuing a troubling trend
By Leo Shane III
Thursday, Nov 14, 2024
Military suicides increased again in 2023, continuing a steady and concerning rise in self-inflicted deaths among servicemembers over more than a decade, according to statistics released by the Defense Department on Thursday.
Pentagon officials downplayed the significance of the 6% rise in suicides from 2022 to 2023 (the latest data available), calling the rise not statistically significant. But they acknowledged “an increasing long-term trend in suicide rates” for active-duty troops despite years of focus on prevention efforts.
“Going forward, it’s our commitment to really invest in tracking these efforts and finding those things that are the most effective,” said Dr. Timothy Hoyt, deputy director of the Office of Force Resiliency.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2024/11/14/military-suicides-rose-in-2023-continuing-a-troubling-trend/