Top doctors in the military found elevated suicide risks among frontline soldiers who served in the Afghanistan war zone. Findings urged Canada's new defense minister to focus on mental health issues in the military.
The report analyzed suicide rates from 1995 to 2014 wherein the rates among the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) were nearly similar to the suicide rates in the general population. However, starting 2010, there has been a significant increase in the suicide rates among soldiers who served in the Afghanistan war.
In the last 13 years, the CAF had recorded 80 male suicides among its regular troops. The rate is significantly higher when compared to the 67 recorded male suicides in the air and navy forces. Findings also showed that regular-force Army command males who were involved in combat arms trades have higher suicide rates compared to their counterparts in the non-combat arms regular force. In comparison to the previous statistics, deployment history is now seen as a risk factor that increases suicide rates in the CAF.
"The army has been active and most of the casualties killed in action have been in the army. It's not a surprising figure, but of course every loss is a tragedy and we're concerned about getting people the best care possible," said CAF's chief mental health adviser, Colonel Rakesh Jetly.
The findings prompted Canada's National Defense Minister Jarjit Singh Sajjan to make the military's increasing suicide rate a priority for the nation's chief of defense staff, General Jonathan Vance. Sajjan shared that throughout his career, he had experienced the demands of military service first-hand and the impact it has on the soldiers and their families.
Vance shared Sajjan's concerns and mentioned that the troops' well-being and health, as well as their families', are his top priority. The military already have a broad suicide prevention program which is supported by compassionate field experts, however, in light of recent findings, improvements must be made. Vance is also encouraging his men on the force to seek professional help if they or someone they know need it.
The findings were released by Surgeon General Brigadier-General Hugh MacKay.
