As soldiers continue to take their own lives, many wonder what the military could do to stop this epidemic.

From WORLD. On April 28, Capt. Brent Gaut, commanding officer of the USS George Washington stationed in Norfolk, Va., told his 260 sailors to prepare to move off the ship into barracks. The order came after three service members committed suicide all in the same week. Overall, 10 sailors on the ship, which was docked for long-term repairs, took their own lives in as many months.

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The string of deaths has cast a harsh glare on living conditions and work culture not only on the ship but also across all military branches. Researchers and politicians are scrutinizing military policies that at face value encourage mental health treatment but might actually be preventing soldiers from accessing it.

Last month, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office released preliminary numbers showing active duty military suicides dropped slightly by 58 in 2021 compared with the year before, the first decline in six years. This mirrors a decline in the national suicide rate since 2019, but the slow reduction indicates the problem has not subsided. A Brown University study from last year found that while veterans still account for the majority of military suicides (an estimated 22,261 of 30,177 since 9/11), the rates among active service members have increased, especially among 18- to 34-year-olds. Additionally, the number of sailors deserting the Navy doubled in 2021 compared with 2020, NBC News reported this week.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and two other U.S. lawmakers wrote in a letter to the secretary of the Army that twice as many soldiers in Alaska committed suicide in 2021 compared with 2020. Sullivan said that during his days as a Marine reservist, a man under his command took his own life. The memory of the tragedy has spurred him to find what the military can do to help service members sooner.

Sullivan has also said he’s working on a bill to stop military penalties for mental health treatment. The Defense Department disqualifies recruits who have previously been treated for depression, anxiety, or other mental disorders….

M. David Rudd, a veteran and professor at the University of Memphis, said military recruits often hide mental health struggles when they sign up. Rudd, who also directs the new Rudd Institute for Veteran and Military Suicide Prevention, described a cycle in which underlying mental health issues become worse under the pressures of military service, especially during deployment, but then the soldier avoids reaching out for help due to fear of discharge….

In studying mental health challenges in the military, Ohio State College of Medicine clinical psychologist Craig Bryan said trial respondents frequently told him about internal policies designed to protect and strengthen leaders and the institution rather than its members.

“We’ve traditionally approached suicide from a mental illness perspective, which is also the pervasive model within society,” Bryan told me. “But I’m beginning to see that it might be something about the organization itself and its policies that create stressful points and can contribute to suicides….”

How are you praying for the members of our military struggling with mental illness? Share your thoughts and prayers in the comments.

(Excerpt from WORLD. Photo Credit: Stormseeker on Unsplash)