Mental health disorders are on the rise in the military, and now account for more hospitalizations than any other illness, according to a new Department of Defense health report.
Diagnoses of mental health disorders rose 40% over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, according to a Defense Health Agency report. It found that anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doubled over the five-year period.
In 2023, on active duty Service members Suffering from a mental health disorder accounts for 54.8% of hospital stays, more than all other illnesses combined.
From 2019 through 2023, 541,672 are on active duty Service members in all branches have been diagnosed with at least one case Mental health disorderaccording to the report. About 47% of them were diagnosed with more than one mental health disorder. In 2023, there were 1.3 million US soldiers on active duty.
This disturbing report comes on the heels of a car attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 people, and revealed that the suspect, Shams Al-Din Jabbar, was an Army veteran with multiple deployments.
On the same day in Las Vegas, Colonel Matthew Livelsperger, an active member of the Army Green Berets, shot himself in the head in an electronic truck filled with explosives.
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Mental health disorders are on the rise within the military, and now account for more hospitalizations than any other illness, according to a new Pentagon health report. (AP Photo/Patrick Szymanski)
“As service members continue to experience increased rates of mental health disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic, help-seeking behaviors to address psychological and emotional well-being must be prioritized to maintain force readiness,” the report said.
It was not immediately possible to contact the Pentagon to comment on the reason behind the increase in diagnosis and whether American forces were mentally prepared to go into combat if necessary.
Service members are female, younger and serving Armywere more likely to be diagnosed.
The Navy led all other branches in depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, and personality disorders.
Female active duty service members were twice as likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than their male counterparts.
The medical data came from records accessed via the Defense Medical Surveillance System and the Theater Medical Data Store. Ambulance encounters, hospitalizations or outpatient visits to a psychiatric facility, and other factors were analyzed to determine a mental health diagnosis.
Meanwhile, military suicides rose again last year, following a dark trend Pentagon I struggled to fight.
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Diagnoses of mental health disorders rose 40% from 2019 to 2023, according to a Defense Health Agency report. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutson)
In 2023, active duty service members with a mental health disorder accounted for 54.8% of hospital stays, more than all other illnesses combined. (U.S. Army photo by Marcus Rauchenberger)
Overall, 523 suicides were reported in 2023, the most recent data available, up from 493 in 2022. The number of active duty troops who died by suicide increased to 363 from 331 the previous year, a 12% increase.
Suicide is by far the biggest killer of military service members, killing more than training accidents, illnesses, homicides or combat, according to a report published by the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. Department of Defense (DOD). In addition to the huge number, the rate of suicides per 100,000 increased last year.
Suicide deaths on active duty Service members On the rise since 2011.
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Another alarming sign from the data is the number of suicide victims who sought help: 67% of them received primary care in the 90 days before their death; 34% went to an outpatient mental health facility; 8% were discharged from mental health facilities; 18% were taking psychiatric medications at the time of their death.
Within a year before their death, 44% of military suicide victims reported intimacy problems, and 42% reported a behavioral health diagnosis.
