Fixing Suicide in the Military - Coursework Example

FIXING SUICIDE IN THE MILITARY Abstract The rates of Suicides are currently on the rise in the military. The rates are even higher than that of the civilians. The trend further reveals a higher rate amongst soldiers in combat missions. This paper provides solutions that range from training, support centers and increased psychosocial support, which if well implemented could reduce the high suicide cases in the military. Finally, the paper recommends improving the scope of the support centers, area specific training curriculum and observation of the individual’s wellbeing as part of the solution to this worrying problem. Introduction The military personnel do face one of the toughest challenges in combat zones and other front line confrontations. These combat missions do significantly affect their psychological and social wellbeing, a case that has led to a sharp increase in suicide rates among the military. A Washington Post report indicates that the rate of suicide cases among the military in Iraq and Afghanistan had more than doubled between 2004 and 2009 (Dreazen, 2014). However, interestingly, the same report indicates that the rate of suicide rates among military personnel who had never spent any time in the war zones had tripled in the same period. Therefore, the suicide rates among the military could be an indication of deeply rooted problems in handling the special welfare of the military leading to psychological problems as a precursor to suicide. For instance, by July 2014, the U.S military lost about 161 troops on active duty to suicide cases compared to 154 military officers lost in the same period in 2013 (Dreazen, 2014). It is worth noting that the horrors of war instill significant psychological challenges among the military personnel. Bearing in mind the high suicide rates, there is an urgent need to offer post-war guidance and counseling among other measures to mitigate cases of suicide. The accumulation of post-traumatic stress related disorders leads to increased cases of drugs and alcohol abuse or aggravated cases of depression whose effects manifest gradually among the military. Such effects are the primary precursors to military suicide. As such, many military veterans who seem okay have their mental health deteriorating rapidly after the service due to trauma related stresses. The effects of accumulated trauma manifest in the fact that many of the suicide cases involve veteran soldiers compared to younger soldiers serving the same roles. A research by the Department of Veterans Affairs involving cases of veteran suicides between 1999 and 2010 indicated that in every 65 minutes, one military veteran commits suicide. These are worrying figures that could indicate a deeper problem in managing the welfare of the military personnel and veterans. Moreover, the report revealed that 69% of the reported suicide cases involved military veterans aged 50 years and above, while 31% of the suicide cases involved military veterans less than 50 years of age (Haiken, 2013). Besides, in 2012, the military released shocking details concerning active duty suicides with the cases hitting a record high in the 2012 where almost 349 soldiers committed suicide in about one day (Haiken, 2013). These figures could indicate that more military personnel die from committing suicide than from combat missions. From these worrying figures, it is then clear that though the effects that suicide has on the military is a primary concern, the methods that leaders take to prevent suicide are not enough and fail to consider what is best for the individual. Causes of Suicide As illustrated, suicide is currently a problem of concern in the military and the society and large, calling for better and result-oriented responses to alleviate the problem. An understanding of the predisposing factors will undoubtedly provide a basis for ensuring best interventions in preventing or reducing suicide cases among the military. The following are some of the causes of suicide in the military: a) Deployments Deployment refers to the activities undertaken to move military personnel and their materials from one area of assignment to another. As such there are preparations that the military personnel and their families make before deployments, during the deployment as well as after. Research has revealed a direct relationship between direct combat exposure and post-traumatic stress among the military, which has significant effects on the mental health of the involved soldiers. A research on 5000 military personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan revealed that among the individuals who showed positive signs of psychological disorders from the deployment exercise, only 23% to 40% sought or benefited from mental health care services (Sheppard, Malatras & Israel, 2010). These grim figures point to a major problem in mental health care delivery among the military especially in deployment for combat roles. The reality of separating from their families is the main cause of the stress related disorders in that as Sheppard, Malatras & Israel (2010) report; married soldiers had about 3.1 chances of developing the post-traumatic disorders compared to single soldiers serving the same roles. This separation from families could be a source of stress for the soldiers. The absence of their loved ones gives them a lot of stress and worries (Bryan, Clemans, Hernandez, & Rudd, 2013). The stress that results from not being certain about their survival in the combat mission could likely push a service person to depression and hence trigger suicidal thoughts. Depression makes one feel sad and down. They finally lose interest in the things that they used to enjoy, and they lose focus on the primary objective of deployment (Bryan et al., 2013). As such, to seek a solution for the high military related suicide cases, there is a need to have better mental health care programs among the deployed military personnel in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders. b) Mental Health (PTSD) Mental health refers to the level of an individual's psychological well-being. It may also refer to the absence of any mental disorder. A major mental health related problem affecting the military is the post-traumatic stress disorder. As Bryan, et al. (2012 ) explains, this is a disorder that is often developed following an exposure of an individual to significant stresses and extreme conditions. Some of the extreme conditions and stresses in question may include terrorism, war and killings, assaults, and other life threatening occurrences. Statistics indicates that as of September 2014 at least 20% of the veterans involved in the Afghanistan and Iraq combat missions suffered the post-traumatic disorders (Bryan et al., 2012). Among the US soldiers aged 18 and above, the post-traumatic disorder ranges from 9% before a combat mission to 31% after deployment (Bryan et al., 2012). The high figures of military personnel suffering from mental related effects portray worrying trends and cannot be overstated. In fact, soldiers who underwent deployment for three to four times had a higher risk of developing mental health related problems, which include anxiety, increased alcohol abuse, acute stress cases in addition to acute depression cases. A research by Seal and Colleagues (2009) involving more than 300,000 US soldiers revealed that of the 36.9% of veterans who underwent a mental health diagnosis exercise, 21.8% had PSTD while 17.4% had depression. As such, the report indicated a growing challenge with regard to the mental health of individuals leaving the military. Lack of enough support and mental health provision is a factor that has led to increased suicide among the military veterans. c) Environment The environment in this context refers to family, leadership styles within the military as an organization and medication that include prescription of drugs. These three areas have had a significant effect on the suicide cases amongst the military personnel. The long times spent away from home contributes a lot to the wreckage of families, which then triggers stresses and depression among the military, leading to suicide cases. Family breakups are either due to marital infidelity from the partner at home or romantic relationships breakdown due to one partner spending extended times away from the other in combat missions. In most cases, the family of a service person in combat missions does suffer economically or psychologically due to their absence (Hollingsworth, & Hare, 2013). The environment of operation with respect to military leadership is also a major factor that could lead to increased cases of stress and suicidal cases among the military personnel. Poor leadership skills that are not sensitive to an individual needs, leadership that dictates upon the military service persons without caring their conditions is a recipe for such unfortunate suicides (Hollingsworth, & Hare, 2013). Although the military is a disciplined force, a humane leadership style that considers the welfare, esteem and respect for every service person is essential in reducing stress among the military personnel. For instance, many army leaders in combat zones have failed to adhere to guidelines as set out in the Army Field Manual with regard to Combat and Operational Stress Control, COSC (Hollingsworth, & Hare, 2013). The manual recommends that an officer diagnosed with stress has to undergo a delicate process that involves reassurance of normality, enough rest, replenishment of the lost energy, confidence restoration in his/ her duties and then return to duty. Failure to observe the above is an indication of poor military management, which leads to the development of stress within the army service men and is a predisposing factor to suicide. d) Depression Bostwick, & Pankratz, (2000) define depression as a feeling of severe despondency, as well as dejection, which can affect any service persons. Depression is a serious threat to mental health that affects the thoughts, physical health, attitude, and behavior of the servicemen. Different people are affected differently by depression manifesting itself with different symptoms. Some of the stress predisposing factors among the military personnel include trauma, stress, the loss of friends at war, moving into a new place with hardships when in operations and relationship problems. Nasveld et al. (2013) enumerated the facts that lead to depression among the military in combat zones. These include the sight of violent deaths, physical abuse in extreme conditions, the sight of many dead bodies of colleagues, the sight of maimed soldiers and civilians among others. As such, combat exposure is the single most predisposing factor to the development of depression cases among the military servicemen. As such, Nasveld et al., (2013) recommended proper examination and mental health care of servicemen in combat exposures. The health care could involve detailed mental health programs that could aid the servicemen in regaining their normalcy after such exposures. Other post –deployment stressors could range from financial issues and economic stability of their family while the military person is away. As such, the service member affected may be driven to depression since they did not get the necessary psychosocial support during the early stages of the problem. Therefore, lack of proper mental health care and lack of proper welfare of the servicemen during and after combat missions, financial security and family stability are among the factors that could aggravate depression cases leading to suicidal mentality among the military servicemen and veterans. (e) Training In order to respond adequately to the suicide problem that characterizes the military with the statistics ever on the rise, there is a need for proper intervention during military training sessions. Effective training has to target the service men and the military leadership. According to Bryan, Jennings, Jobes, & Bradley, (2012) most of the training approaches in use involving PowerPoint presentations and large groups servicemen have proved ineffective. As such, there is a need for better and more result-oriented training approaches. The ‘identify and refer' approach also failed in preventing suicide cases in the military (Bryan et al., 2012). In this case, the depressed service men are identified too late while the damage has already taken effect. For instance, Bryan et al. (2013) recommends the military culture that emphasizes more on collectivism and maintaining the integrity, security and identity of the group as a good approach to reducing depression and stress during combat and training exercises. Generally, effective military training has to emphasize and ensure physical fitness, mental fitness, and social health. Setting out strategies towards reducing stress and translating them into actionable plans could also help in reducing the suicide cases. In other words, ensuring everyday training promotes the social, physical and psychological wellbeing of the servicemen could reduce the high suicide rates among the military and veterans. Prevention Prevention is best way to respond to suicide cases in the military. Preventing the development of suicidal minds in the force could go a long way in that it could be hard to detect the development of depression in individuals with such depression manifesting when it's too late to reverse it. Therefore, the alarming rates of suicide cases among the military call for effective strategies to prevent such suicide cases from actualizing. a) Support Centers Support centers play an important role towards suicide prevention and mitigation. Most support centers do provide psychosocial support to the military and their families. One the support centers is the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, DSPO, which was established in 2011 udder the Secretary of Defense and Readiness (DSPO, 2015). The support center is mandated to manage any strategic development, actualization, standardization and evaluation for any cases with regard to suicide and risk reduction programs, as well as any activity related to surveillance of these risks. The DSPO employs a number of methods that include communications, law, behavioral health and policy in reducing any cases of suicide from the service or their families. Importantly, the support center encourages the servicemen to seek help in maintaining their behavioral health. The support center seeks to prevent suicide cases among the servicemen and promote resilience programs and strategies that ensure the servicemen and their families do not face the risk factors that could lead to suicide. b) Battle Buddy The use of battle buddies is one of the most versatile approaches to reducing suicide cases in the military if properly coordinated and embraced. The aim of using battle buddies is to promote resilience and to strengthen the entire group in combat zones and in social life. Battle buddies have in many instances saved fellow soldiers from committing suicide during training sessions or in war. In applying their suicide intervention skills learned from training sessions, the buddies do act swiftly to prevent a colleague from committing suicide by first removing any weapon that could harm the depressed colleague (Army Forces Command, 2014). After, a buddy could report the case to the sergeant in their platoon and then escort the depressed soldier to the chaplain in charge of the squadron or any other physician for help. The buddy then accompanies the depressed soldier to any appointed healthcare in ensuring they obtain quality healthcare and counseling. In fact, the use of battle buddies has significantly reduced suicide rates among the servicemen and enhances the collectivist mentality, which is necessary for a platoon (Army Forces Command, 2014). As such, vigorous training of some servicemen to act as battle buddies to their fellow soldiers, if well planned could go a long way in reducing suicide cases in the military. c) Caring Leaders Any understanding of suicide cases in the military does require recognition of the social and cultural context in which a service member does live, train or work. Understanding these issues entails understating the serviceman as a human with needs and requires detailed knowledge and training in leadership skills in military oriented sciences. As such, a caring leader in the military has to possess quality credentials in leadership and human resource management to inject the humane skills in an otherwise brutal organization. The establishment of support centers and other approaches towards preventing suicide cases in the military would require a leadership that has the interest of the servicemen and their families at heart. Bryan et al (2012) noted that the best way to reduce suicidal risks in the military would be to employ a multimodal approach to ensure education, awareness and to evaluate the policy over time to maintain its effectiveness. Caring leadership, therefore, would demand the designing of structures, policies and strategies to improve and enhance the experience of the subjects in promoting the welfare of the servicemen. d) Education Education enhances one's thinking, builds their skills and equips them with the necessary tools for respond to the targeted situation. The implication is that the soldiers and their leaders should get an adequate education so that they can know how to respond to suicide predisposing factors. The importance of education was clear in the heightened military activity in Iraq in 2003. The high demand for servicemen forced the military to lower the required education levels and physical fitness of the servicemen (Dreazen, 2014). The result was a drastic increase in suicide cases in the military, which questioned the wisdom of the hurried military recruitment. Quality education equips persons with the skills to handle and overcome challenges, which could lead to lowered cases of depression and hence suicide in the military. Recommendations Following the discussion of the cause of suicide in the military and identification of the prevention measures, this essay can, therefore, propose the following recommendations to improve suicide intervention in the military. a) Training The military department should formulate training curriculums that target service members and which are responsive to their needs. Leadership in the military requires training on how to discharge their mandate in a manner that considers the welfare of the servicemen in a greater detail. There should also be refresher training courses targeting the servicemen to time to improve their skills. b) Support centers The support centers need to be more friendly and responsive to the psychosocial needs of the soldiers. The support centers additionally should widen their scope to provide soldiers with other support such as economic. Conclusion The increasing cases of suicide in the military are an indication of the poor implementation of policies and strategies that could save the servicemen from self-destruction. Considering the military has a special role where they encounter serious violent confrontations and its effects, exposure to such violence leaves them vulnerable to mental related problems. As such, the best solution in observing the welfare of the servicemen would be to put in place and implement policies and strategies dealing with the mental problems decisively and early enough. Strategic planning and efficient coordination, counseling, training and quality health care among others are important in ensuring the wellbeing of the serving servicemen and the veterans in addition to their families. Therefore, quality leadership is required in putting in place measures that promote the wellbeing of the servicemen and their families. Failure to ensure quality leadership could have the suicide rates in the military increased even higher as the number of combat missions increase. References Army Forces Command (2014). Enhancing resiliency: Forces Command Soldiers intervene; help Army "battle buddies". U.S. Army. http://www.army.mil/article/134758/Enhancing_resiliency__Forces_Command_Soldiers_intervene___help_Army__battle_buddies_/ Bostwick, J. M., & Pankratz, V. S. (2000). Affective disorders and suicide risk: a reexamination. American Journal of Psychiatry, 157(12), 1925-1932. Bryan, C. J., Clemans, T. A., & Hernandez, A. M. (2012). 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