Photo By Senior Master Sgt. Matthew Hecht | Resiliency coach and author Brian Fleming speaks to Soldiers and Airmen during the New...... read more read more
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“Suicide is the number one priority of the New Jersey National Guard.”
-- Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff, the Adjutant General
More than 600 Soldiers and Airmen crowded the National Guard Armory drill floor in Lawrenceville for the first New Jersey National Guard Suicide Stand Down Sept. 9, 2015.
September is Suicide Prevention Month with the week of September 7 as National Suicide Prevention Week and September 10 is recognized by the World Health Organization as World Suicide Prevention Day.
The event served to focus on a crisis that plagues the United States military; to reinforce the many resources available to service members and their families and to de-stigmatize the topics associating with suicide and behavioral health.
“We have a shared responsibility to look out for each other,” said Cunniff.
The most commonly reported service member suicides statistic comes from a Department of Veterans Affairs 2013 report that states 22 service members commit suicide each day, or one every 65 minutes. While women service members kill themselves at more than twice the rate of other women, there are some that feel that number might actually be low – the reason for that is based on that VA study which reported statistics from 21 states and doesn’t include California and Texas.
Regardless of the numbers, military and veteran suicide rates are 50 percent higher than the rest of the civilian population.
The Stand Down emphasized that anyone and everyone can help prevent suicide. The key is recognizing the risk factors.
The Defense Suicide Prevention Office refers to these risk factors as negative life events and include a family history of suicide or of family violence, being faced with a situation of humiliation or failure, loss of job, home, money, status, self-esteem, or personal security; chronic pain; feelings of guilt, anger, or shame; exposure to trauma; a sense of hopelessness; relationship problems; and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Then there are factors that are military specific: Males are more likely to commit suicide, the ranks most commonly affected are usually young Soldiers or Airmen, who have a high-school education, had a divorce or recent relationship failure, experience drug and alcohol abuse, or even have legal, administrative, or financial problems.
And despite increased mental health prevention and outreach, the military culture that values strength and resilience also presents barriers to care. Service members can be reluctant to seek mental health services due to fear of job loss, shame, guilt and being stigmatized by coworkers and loved ones.
“As a culture, we have to diminish the stigma for seeking help,” said Cunniff.
What the Stand Down stressed is that support is only a phone call away.
New Jersey is resource-rich with several peer-to-peer programs. From the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs- Vet2Vet (1-866-838-7654) – a hotline manned by former military members to the Military Crisis Line (800-273-8255) for 24/7 crisis support and finally, the New Jersey Hopeline (855-654-6735) a statewide suicide prevention hotline.
“It’s everyone’s responsibility to recognize those at risk,” said Cunniff.
| Date Taken: | 09.09.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.09.2015 20:21 |
| Story ID: | 175547 |
| Location: | LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ, US |
| Web Views: | 107 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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