Military suicide rate stabilizes, but challenges memain

DOD released its Annual Report on Suicide in the Military (ARSM) for calendar 2023, which showed the suicide rate among service members has stabilized. The overall suicide rate for service members in 2023 was 25.6 per 100,000. This is slightly lower than the rate in 2022, which was 26.1 per 100,000. However, it is still higher than the rate in 2021, which was 24.4 per 100,000. According to 2021 CDC data, the suicide rate for the US population in general is 14.1 per 100,000.

DOD has made some progress in addressing military suicide in the military. For example, the Department has expanded telehealth services to make it easier for service members to access mental health care. The Department has also developed new training programs to help leaders identify and support service members who may be at risk of suicide.

The ARSM highlights several challenges related to suicide in the military. One is that the suicide rate among male service members is significantly higher than the suicide rate among female service members. Another is that the suicide rate among divorced service members is significantly higher than the suicide rate among married service members. In 2023, the suicide rate for divorced service members was 45.1 per 100,000, compared to 25.7 per 100,000 for married service members.