The AP (9/28, Morgan) reports, “While suicide has long been a problem in the U.S. military, numbers have risen this year by as much as 20% as service members struggle with isolation and other impacts of COVID-19, added to the pressures of deploying to war zones and responding to national disasters and civil unrest.” Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, soldiers returning home earlier this year were restricted from visiting families and friends out-of-state and “patriotic welcome home ceremonies were replaced with a mandatory two-week quarantine.” The AP adds that the US Army is considering different measures, such as shortening deployment periods, to improve well-being and reduce suicides.
Related Links:
— “As suicides rise, Army brass reassessing outreach “Sarah Blake Morgan, AP, September 28, 2020