Suicide accounted for just under 40 percent of United States active military deaths as of December 2022, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, which found that U.S. military suicide rates have dramatically increased over the past several decades.
Indeed, the current leading cause of death among servicemen is currently categorized as “self-inflicted,” with a total of 333 incidents last year. Suicide was recorded as almost ten percent higher in prevalence than accidents, of which there were 265.
Yet, last year represents a slight decrease in the rate of self-inflicted deaths compared to October 2020, in which suicide rates were just under 41 percent.
Suicide accounted for roughly ten percent of military deaths when records began in 1980, with that figure remaining mostly stable until the 1990s, in which the rate jumped to 23 percent in 1995. The rate of self-inflicted deaths fell sharply in the mid-2000s, however, much of the decline can be attributed to the increase in “hostile action” fatalities in 2008.
Suicide rates across American society have reached unprecedented levels under the Biden government, with just under 50,000 people killing themselves in 2022. The rate was 14.3 three people per 100,000 – the highest since 1941.
If you need help, you can call 988 for the National Suicide Prevention helpline.
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