Soldier suicide rate in Iraq jumped sharply last year, but Army sees no crisis

Associated Press ^ | 3-24-04 | ROBERT BURNS, AP Military Writer

[Oldeconomybuyer]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The suicide rate among American soldiers in Iraq is much higher than for the Army as a whole, but officials said Wednesday that mental health experts have concluded there is no crisis.

A team of mental health experts visited soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait last year, following an alarming jump in suicides in July, and after months of deliberation have presented Army leaders with a series of recommendations on ways that mental stress among soldiers can be handled better.

[Uncle Miltie]

"The U.S. civilian rate for the 18-34 age group, which is the age range of most soldiers, is 21.5 per 100,000."

Corrected Headline: Soldiers in Iraq Less Suicide Prone than Civilians.

[Dr. Frank fan]

Uh, the "soldier suicide rate in Iraq" was ZERO before last year. Of COURSE it "jumped". We didn't HAVE soldiers "in Iraq" prior to last year.

Unless of course the article is comparing a peacetime soldier-suicide-rate to a wartime rate. But that would just be nutty!