Suicide in the American Army

Introduction 

Suicide is a health concern among the majority of military organizations which comprises of middle-aged men and youth. Specific military duties cause mental disorders to military officers. The psychological conditions turn out into suicide. American soldiers risk suicide and require enhanced facilities to handle their mental health and social challenges that are a result of dedicated service. Statistics indicate that suicide rate is the number one cause of mortality among army officers. Other than suicide rates, the military officers develop post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol abuse, and depression, which are the significant risk factors for suicidal rates. Lack of access to proper medical care also exposes military personnel to the dangers of mental disorder and suicide. This paper addresses the causes of suicide rates among military officers in the United States as well as suitable ways for the prevention of suicide cases. 

Causes of Suicide Murder in the American Army 

The reasons for suicide in the general population apply to military officers in the United States. However, officers serving as marine corps or in combat are at higher risk for suicide. Suicide prevention best explains the suicide rates in the United States (Zamorski, 2011). The lack of specialized facilities and opportunities for the prevention of suicide consequently increases the rates of suicide. The special opportunities for suicide prevention include educational awareness, communication through mass media, and intense attention to target populations. Education would have a positive impact on the attitudes, skills, and knowledge of officers within training setups. Community-based programs have also worked in the prevention of suicide rates. Frequent assessment and tests would establish whether officers suffer from depression. 

The controversies over military screening base on the fact that primary military care in the military is sufficient itself in the prevention of suicide. However, the best measures should become adopted in the implementation of screening programs. Once a suicide case becomes established, strict follow up procedures should begin. The highest reports of suicide rates in the military come from officers under legal action or those who practice in combat. Extreme fear of personal injury can also turn out suicidal. Occupational risk occurs with firearm restriction, thus increases the chances of suicide (Zamorski, 2011). Moreover, media coverage of suicide can influence other officers to commit suicide. There is a need for optimal care such as computerized suicide management systems or regular evaluation of community-based prevention programs to establish their validity and reliability in the reduction of suicide rates. 

Prevention Plan to Stop Suicide Rates in the Military 

The government should emphasize improving military care for the prevention of suicide. Mental health care facilities require quality improvement with standardized medical care. Secondly, research in the military is necessary to gather information for suicide monitoring and prevention support. Moreover, mitigation measures put in place would help address the challenges that officers under the criminal justice system face tor the prevention of suicide. Furthermore, the government should look into the supplies for medication and firearms. Responsible media practices can prevent the circulation of information on military suicide (Zamorski, 2011) . All in all, military organizations require support for the prevention of suicide. A sound culture would ensure that suicidal cases do not occur in the future. 

Suicide mortality has escalated in the past decade in America, with concentrated efforts to curb suicide rates. Research works to establish the common causes of suicide to allow for the planning of infrastructure for suicide prevention. However, there seem to be limited prevention and treatment measures for suicide. Psychological theories explain suicide behavior among veterans (Castro, & Kintzle, 2014). The death of a military officer is a significant concern for the state, which benefits from service during a war or excellent leadership. The deportation of American soldiers to Iraq saw the increase of suicide rates among the deployed population. Several theories and explanations arose to establish the causes of military suicide. The government ensures that officers have life insurance policies to protect them during duty and decrease their chances of suicide. 

The deployment of army officers led to an abrupt rise in suicide murder following mental health issues associated with service. Research indicates that there is a thin line between combat and suicide behavior. Suicide death is preventable, yet the most common cause of death. Persons undergoing depression or alcoholism are at high risk for suicide. Families and friends of suicide victims also require social support to prevent the recurrence of suicide cases (Bailey, Patel, Avenido, Patel, Jaleel, Barker, & Jabeen, 2011). Sharing information on the prevention of suicide helps in preventing future cases of suicide. Suicide prevention days help in creating awareness and preventing the stigmatization related to suicide. 

Conclusion 

Mental disorders associated with military service are the main reasons for suicide. It is crucial to monitor veterans to ensure their mental wellness and prevent the chances that suicide would occur. Suicide prevention poses a challenge in the efforts towards the prevention of mental illness. Suicide prevention among military officers seems to lack an immediate solution. However, the adoption of prevention measures would help reduce the abrupt rise in suicide deaths. Military personnel require support to help improve infrastructure for suicide prevention. 

References 

Bailey, R. K., Patel, T. C., Avenido, J., Patel, M., Jaleel, M., Barker, N. C., ... & Jabeen, S. (2011). Suicide: current trends.  Journal of the National Medical Association ,  103 (7), 614-617. 

Castro, C. A., & Kintzle, S. (2014). Suicides in the military: the post-modern combat veteran and the Hemingway effect.  Current Psychiatry Reports ,  16 (8), 460. 

Zamorski, M. A. (2011). Suicide prevention in military organizations.  International review of psychiatry ,  23 (2), 173-180.