Study: US military suicide tied to mental illness

The rising rate of suicide among US troops and veterans is linked to mental disorders, including depression and alcohol abuse, according to a new study.

The long-term study of more than 150,000 active and retired US military personnel was conducted by the Naval Health Research Center in San Diego.

Researchers said the analysis shows there is not a direct association between combat exposure and the number of deployments and suicides.

“Deployment was not related to the risk of suicide,” said Dr. Nancy Crum-Cianflone of the Naval Health Research Center. That does not prove that deployment has nothing to do with suicide risk — and for certain individuals it may,” she added.

“But these findings probably mean that deployment doesn’t play a large role,” said Crum-Cianflone said.

Previous studies have shown an increase in the number of active duty soldiers with mental illnesses since the mid-2000s, possibly due to the stress of being part of a military that has been at war for so long.

The suicide rate in the US military has risen in recent years. According to Pentagon figures, there were 349 suicides by active-duty soldiers in 2012, up from 301 the year before.

About 22 veterans in the United States kill themselves every day, a rate that is about 20 percent higher than the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2007 estimate, according to two-year study by a VA researcher.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this spring that the US civilian suicide rate also increased sharply from 1999 to 2010. Guns are the most prevalent form of suicide in the United States.