America's North Shore Journal

DoD By Donna Miles American Forces Press Service With Army suicides on the rise — approaching rates for the same demographic among civilians — Army officials are evaluating their programs to see what more can be done to stop the escalation. During 2006, 102 active-duty soldiers committed suicide, the highest number since the last large-scale military deployment, in 1990 and 1991, Army Col. (Dr.) Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, psychiatric consultant to the Army surgeon general, said during a media roundtable today. That’s a rate of 17.5 per 100,000, a dramatic spike from 12.8 per 100,000 in 2005 and the highest rate since 1980, Ritchie said. This compares with the 19.9 per 100,000 rate among military-age civilian males. All indications show the 2007 rates will be at least as high as in 2006 and probably higher. … Read entire article »