Suicide rate of US soldiers in Iraq higher than normal
PLA Daily 2004-01-16
WASHINGTON, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet) -- At least 21 US soldiers in Iraqhave committed suicide since the war broke out last March, a number about a third higher than during peacetime, the Pentagon's top health official said Wednesday.
The suicide rate for US soldiers in Iraq during the past year was about 13.5 per 100,000, compared with 10.5-11 per 100,000 for troops during peacetime, said Dr. William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
Of the 21 confirmed suicides, 18 were from the Army.
"We don't see any trend there that tells us that there's more we might be doing," Winkenwerder said.
Alarmed by the situation, the US Army sent a team of doctors toIraq last September to investigate whether the stress of combat and long deployments are contributing to the deaths.
The military has nine combat stress teams in Iraq, and each division has a psychiatrist, psychologist and social worker, Winkenwerder said.
"We've put a lot mental health resources into the field. We think that helps and has made a difference," he said.
Nearly 400 troops have been evacuated from Iraq for stress-related problems, he added.
Most of the suicides have taken place since May 1, when major combat operations were declared over. Experts say harsh and dangerous living conditions, combined with a long deployment period, can worsen existing depression. And the accessibility of weapons in a war zone can quickly turn a passing thought of suicide into action.
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