Army Leaders Discuss Suicide Prevention and Behavioral Health Initiatives

A Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the Department of the Army's review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY 2012 and the Future Years Defense Program highlighted the military's efforts to address the growing concern of soldier suicides. Secretary of the Army John McHugh and General George Casey, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, testified before the committee on March 31, 2011.

The hearing underscored the military's commitment to providing support for soldiers' mental health and reducing the stigma associated with seeking help. General Casey shared the Army's progress in reducing suicide rates, citing a 15-month study that identified areas for improvement. The Army has since implemented changes, such as increasing the number of behavioral health providers and rotating them to different posts to maintain skills.

Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) commended General Casey's leadership on the issue, highlighting the importance of dwell time for soldiers and the need for continued support for suicide prevention programs. The Senator also expressed gratitude for the Army's efforts to improve behavioral health care, noting the 83% increase in funding since 2007 and the launch of a $50 million study to investigate the effects of mental health care on soldiers.

Key Takeaways:

• Secretary of the Army John McHugh emphasized the Army's commitment to addressing the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health care, citing a 15-month study and the implementation of changes to reduce suicide rates.
• General George Casey highlighted the Army's progress in reducing suicide rates, noting a slight downturn in 2010 and an upturn in National Guard suicides.
• The Army has increased funding for behavioral health care by 83% since 2007 and is conducting a $50 million study to investigate the effects of mental health care on soldiers.
• General Casey reported that the Army is rotating behavioral health providers around the Army to different posts as part of the deployment lifecycle.
• The Army has provided access to behavioral health care for soldiers in remote locations, including Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Afghanistan.
• The Army is preparing to send two behavioral health care specialists and two technicians with every brigade that deploys in the theater.
• General Casey credited General Chiarelli, General Graham, and General Ham for their leadership on suicide prevention efforts.
• Senator Udall highlighted the parallel efforts in the civilian world to understand and prevent suicides, mentioning the impact on his own family.

Statistics:

• The Army has increased its investment in behavioral health care studies and analyses within the United States Army by 83% since 2007.
• The $50 million study conducted by the Institute of Mental Health aims to bring medical breakthroughs to the field of behavioral health care.
• As of March 2011, the Army had 4,400 behavioral health care specialists on board, exceeding its requirement of 4,200.
• The Army has increased its requirement for behavioral health care specialists from 4,200 to 5,800 and now to 6,100.
• The National Guard has implemented a campaign plan to reduce suicides, including hiring suicide prevention coordinators in every state and providing hotlines and reaction teams.

Sources:

• Federal News Service, Inc. (2011)
• Department of the Army
• Senate Armed Services Committee (2011)
• Institute of Mental Health (no date)