Military suicides fell in 2024 but long-term rate for active duty troops still rising, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, with the number of deaths falling by 11% to 471 from a year earlier, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.

The rate of suicides per 100,000 service members also dropped that year compared to 2023, the report said. The decrease emerged under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration and followed a rise in the number of military suicides in 2023.

Despite the drop in 2024, suicide rates among active duty troops overall still have gradually increased between 2011 and 2024, while the National Guard and Reserve have stayed largely stable, the report said.

The military’s statistics generally reflect suicide rates for society as a whole, when adjusted for age and gender, because a majority of those in the military are young and male. The overall trend in suicide rates for active duty service members “mirrors the increase in the U.S. population suicide rates over time,” the report said.

“It remains to be seen whether the short-term decreases observed in 2024 in the Active Component will signal a change in long-term trends,” the report stated.

Suicide prevention has increasingly become a focus in the military in recent years, with Austin declaring it a priority during his tenure. Top leaders in the Pentagon and across the military services have worked to develop programs to increase mental health assistance for troops and to bolster education on gun safety, locks and storage.

The Brandon Act, a law passed in 2021 following a Navy sailor’s suicide, also allows service members to seek help confidentially “for any reason, at any time, and in any environment,” the report noted.

Most service members who died by suicide in 2024 were enlisted men under the age of 30, the report said. The number of active duty service members who died by suicide that year was 302, while 64 were reservists and 105 were in the National Guard.

According to the report, nearly half of the active duty service members who died by suicide in 2024 had a mental health diagnosis such as alcohol use disorder, depression or anxiety. A third had workplace difficulties, while 45% had intimate relationship problems.

“Recognizing that every death by suicide is a tragedy, the Department will continue to take action to support our men and women in uniform and their families, promote the wellbeing and resilience of the force, and take steps to prevent suicide in our military community,” the Pentagon said in a news release after the report was published.

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The national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.