WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 15, 2010) " The Army released suicide data today for the month of May. Among active-duty soldiers, there were nine potential suicides, and all remain under investigation. For April, the Army reported 10 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, four have been confirmed as suicides, and six remain under investigation.
During May 2010, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were 12 potential suicides: two have been confirmed and 10 remain under investigation. For April, among that same group, there were seven total suicides. Of those, two were confirmed as suicides and five are pending determination of the manner of death.
"The summer season traditionally represents the Army's peak transition timeframe as soldiers, families and Department of the Army civilians relocate between commands and installations," said Col. Chris Philbrick, Director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. "This turbulent period often compounds the amount of stress faced by our Army and members of the Army family. Everyone needs to know that despite an increase of anxiety or pressure, help is readily available, especially during these transition periods."
"We are making every effort to maintain contact with soldiers, families and civilians and sustain the Army's efforts to provide comprehensive behavioral health resources and support," Philbrick said. "We simply cannot afford to have any member of the Army family fall through the cracks when dealing with the additional stress transition."
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental U.S. is 1-800-342-9647; their Web site address is www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location.
The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at www.armyg1.army.mil.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly-revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention).
Suicide prevention training resources for Army Families can be accessed online (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).
Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at www.army.mil/csf.
The DCOE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at www.dcoe.health.mil.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at www.afsp.org, and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council at www.sprc.org.
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