Suicides among Army personnel UP 80% in 4 years has surpassed that of the civilian population.

Suicides among Army personnel up 80% in four years

By Shari Roan, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog

9:56 AM PST, March 8, 2012

Suicide among young Army personnel is among the saddest tolls of the country's two long wars this century. A report released Thursday found suicides among U.S. Army personnel rose 80% between 2004 and 2008.

For the last years in which data were available in this study, 2007 and 2008, 255 soldiers took their lives. The authors estimated that 25% to 50% of the suicides were directly related to the combat commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan. From 1977 to 2003, suicide rates among active U.S. Army personnel were decreasing.

The suicide rate in the Army has surpassed that of the civilian population, according to the authors.