Suicide prevention efforts rise

by Airman 1st Class Devin Scott Michaels
633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs

2/25/2014 - LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. -- According to Department of Defense records, military suicide rates began rising in 2005, plateaued in 2012 and began decreasing in 2013, due in part to the alleviation of stigma attached to behavioral health clinics, implementation of new methods of leadership training and increased access to treatment resources.

The DOD expanded suicide prevention training in the U.S. military, reaching into Service members' lives by requiring annual medical visits and making resiliency a common topic of discussion among Service members.

"The programs are invaluable and far more capable of being utilized than they were back in 2005," said U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher West, Fort Eustis McDonald Army Health Center Behavioral Health Clinic noncommissioned officer in charge. "We started treating [suicidal thoughts] as a medical emergency since suicide rates began rising."

The new era of suicide prevention training began a few years ago in an effort to reduce the rising suicide rates. Military leadership is now taught in-depth suicide awareness tactics, as well as step-by-step processes, to help approach potentially suicidal Service members.

"Roughly once a quarter, Fort Eustis has a course for company commanders and first sergeants," said West. "The suicide prevention and health promotions classes aim at educating commands on ways to holistically support behavioral health clinics and Soldiers."

Another aspect of the military's approach toward suicide requires Service members to fill out a checklist, allowing doctors to determine if they are mentally or emotionally fit.

"A great stride for suicide prevention in [the military] is we've started incorporating behavioral health into the primary care setting," said West. "Soldiers fill out a questionnaire at the beginning of their visit that assesses things like suicidality, post-traumatic stress symptoms and signs of depression."

If a Service member indicates they have not been feeling mentally or emotionally fit, their physician will assess the situation and refer them to a behavioral health clinic.

"One of the best things we have, specifically on Fort Eustis, is a wide array of providers with different skill sets," said West. "We have psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed social workers and nurse practitioners who all have different methods of treatment."

Master Sgt. Liesbeth Bowen, 633rd Air Base Wing first sergeant, indicated Service members should not avoid visiting a behavioral health clinic for fear of hurting their careers.

"Attending the Mental Health Clinic does not follow a Service member's career," Bowen. "Senior leadership cannot look into what someone is doing at a Mental Health clinic."

If Service members are hesitant to seek help, their leaders want them to know they earnestly care about their health and well-being, said Bowen.

"One very big resource available is Military One Source," said Bowen, "Someone can call, say they're depressed and receive immediate help from a counselor over the phone. Calls and appointments made are completely untraceable and absent from a Service member's records."

Bowen spoke of other resources Service members are encouraged to pursue, such as their supervisor, first sergeant or wingman.

"Service members should know they can speak to their supervisor or first sergeant in a time of need, but the wingman concept is the most valuable aspect of suicide prevention," said Bowen. "Service members should be open to talking to their wingman or battle buddy about depression."

With extensive outreach programs, establishment of a step-by-step approach and resilience training, the military is making many efforts to combat suicide. The ultimate goal of prevention is to develop healthy, resilient Service members who do not consider suicide as an option.

For additional information contact any of the following:
Military One Source at 800-342-9647
Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255, extension 1
Confidential online chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net
Crisis hotline on the front page of the JBLE mobile app