The number of military suicides increased again in 2023

According to the Ministry of Defense, the number of suicides among soldiers will increase again in 2023 annual report on suicide released on Thursday. The long-term trend of rising military suicides is a persistent problem that the Pentagon says it plans to address with additional funding by 2025.

In 2023, 523 military personnel died by suicide, an increase from the 493 deaths by suicide in 2022. The number of active duty military personnel who died by suicide increased from 331 deaths in 2022 to 363 in 2023.

Suicide deaths among Reserve service members increased from 65 to 69, although deaths among National Guard members declined slightly in 2023.

The increase in suicide deaths in 2023 was mainly caused by spikes in the army and air force. Meanwhile, the Navy saw a slight increase in their numbers, while the Marine Corps’ numbers remained the same.

However, the Marine Corps has the highest suicide rate of any service branch, with at least 61 Marines dying by suicide, resulting in a rate of 35 suicides per 100,000 members.

The Air Force and Navy had the lowest rate in 2023, with about 21 cases per 100,000 airmen and 19 cases per 100,000 sailors.

However, all four services have seen a steady increase in suicide deaths since 2011, when the Defense Department began tracking suicide rates.

Military officials said the Defense Department is assessing suicide rates — the number of suicides per 100,000 people per year — rather than raw suicide rates, as the size of the active force has declined in recent years.

The report shows that young, male service members continue to be the most affected by suicides in the military, and the most common method of suicide among these troops is the use of a firearm.

For military family members, suicide rates in 2022 were slightly lower than in 2021. Overall, suicide deaths among military spouses and dependents have increased since 2011.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made addressing the long-term rise in suicide rates in the Defense Department one of his top priorities early in his term. In 2022, he established the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee to develop new strategies and recommendations aimed at finding ways to improve mental health care for military personnel and address quality of life issues.

Last year the committee released a report with 127 recommendations aimed at tackling address the issue, including promoting gun safety and providing additional resources to help service members have access to support services.

“When it comes to suicide, one loss by suicide is too many,” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters on Thursday. “We owe it to our service members and families to provide the best care possible, to identify risk factors and recognize warning signs, and to eliminate stigma around seeking help.”

Although the committee made specific recommendations regarding firearm safety, the Pentagon opted for stimulation and stimulation safe firearms practices rather than imposing gun regulations.

The Ministry of Defense also plans to include this in more than 2,000 new employees in mental health care over the next four years.