{"id":92035,"date":"2021-06-21T20:50:50","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T20:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/06\/21\/four-times-as-many-troops-and-vets-have-died-by-suicide-as-in-combat-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:37:00","slug":"four-times-as-many-troops-and-vets-have-died-by-suicide-as-in-combat-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/06\/21\/four-times-as-many-troops-and-vets-have-died-by-suicide-as-in-combat-study-finds\/","title":{"rendered":"Four times as many troops and vets have died by suicide as in combat, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The suicide rate among active-duty troops<\/a> and veterans<\/a> has outpaced the also-rising rate in the general population in recent years, but with so many risk factors inherent to military life, it\u2019s difficult to pin down why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no one reason for it, according to a study released Monday<\/a> by the Costs of War Project, and the way the Defense Department and VA track suicides might mean even their growing numbers are incomplete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe report notes that the increasing rates of suicide for both veterans and active duty personnel are outpacing those of the general population \u2015 an alarming shift, as suicide rates among service members have historically been lower than suicide rates among the general population,\u201d according to a news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Per researchers\u2019 estimates, 30,177 Global War on Terror veterans have died by suicide, compared to 7,057 who have died while deployed in support of the Global War on Terror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are myriad stressors endemic not only to combat deployments, but also to military service, that may contribute to the rising suicide rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are clear contributors to suicidal ideation like high exposure to trauma \u2014 mental, physical, moral, and sexual \u2014 stress and burnout, the influence of the military\u2019s hegemonic masculine culture, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life,\u201d according to the report. \u201cIn addition to these factors, it is imperative we also consider the impact of the military\u2019s reliance on guiding principles which overburden individual service members with moral responsibility, or blameworthiness for actions or consequences, over which they have little control.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t