Suicide among members of the military is a topic of current national importance. Historically, active-duty U.S. Army soldiers had a lower rate of completed suicide than demographically matched civilians. However, as the rate for civilians has remained consistent, that for soldiers has escalated in the past decade. As a result, since 2008, the military rate has exceeded the civilian rate (1). This phenomenon has understandably led to a greatly increased emphasis on understanding suicide risk and protective factors among soldiers and to the search for effective prevention programs and treatment models. For example, the Department of the Army and the National Institute of Mental Health have funded the large-scale Army Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) (2), which is beginning to yield valuable information on risk factors. Simultaneously, treatment researchers are investigating psychotherapeutic methods to reduce suicide ideation and attempts in both active-duty and veteran health care settings.
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