Some preliminary conclusions on research into the "psychiatric epidemic" of suicide in the miltary 2000 - 2012

Some preliminary conclusions on research into the "psychiatric epidemic" of suicide in the military 2000 - 2012

The true picture, including the epidemiological one, in the area of suicides in the military and the true state of affairs in the military mental health field is not known to us yet. The deaths suspicious of suicide and the incidents of self-injurious behavior, as well as homicides and other relevant occurrences should be included into the statistics. The sophisticated data collection system needs to be established, socio - and psychometric instruments to be developed and used; theoretical models conceptualised and tested, etc. The riddle might not be solved to provide more or less satisfactory causal explanation for some time, if at all; in the end, all attempts at the explanation are just interpretational hypotheses, due to the specifics of the subject matter: suicide, and the mental health field. Regardless of all the possible hypothetical explanations (which do have to be developed and tested), the general sociotherapeutic sanation measures, including the changes in the military subculture, if needed, should be implemented and continuously improved and refined, with the aim of improving, making more healthy and humane and maximally consistent with the values and norms of larger, mainstream culture, the general emotional climate in military communities and units, and providing the range of various relevant services. This approach might be just as, if not more productive, than the specific "suicide prevention measures", which can continue to stay in place.