Suicide among American soldiers
is on the rise. In 2005 and 2006, the
number of American soldiers who
took their own lives increased to
the highest total since 1993, despite
an effort by the Armed Services to
detect and prevent suicides. The
number of suicides among soldiers
on active duty in the Army, Army
Reserve, and Army National Guard
has risen from 67 in 2004 to at least
128 in 2008.2 Returning soldiers or
veterans should always be evaluated
for suicide risk, depression, posttraumatic
stress disorder (PTSD),
traumatic brain injury (TBI), and
other physical injuries and emotional
problems. PTSD and TBI increase
the risk of suicidal ideation, suicide
attempts, and completed suicides