By the Numbers - Dec. 16, 2013

By the Numbers - Dec. 16, 2013

7%

The percentage of a sample of 10,400 Army soldiers who reported seriously considering or attempting suicide since joining the military, according to a recent study in the journal Psychiatric Services -- 
Suicidal Behaviors and the Use of Mental Health Services Among Active Duty Army Soldiers. Thirteen perecent (13%) of the same group reported that they "had seriously considered or attempted suicide at some point in their lives."

After the analyses adjusted for sociodemographic factors, soldiers who seriously considered or attempted suicide since joining the military versus those who did not were 1.71 times more likely to have used a mental health service, 2.33 times more likely to have used two or more types of services, 1.82 times more likely to have seen a mental health specialist, and 1.67 times more likely to have received medication in the past year.