Suicide and How it Impacts Military Families
Description of the Case or Problem
As the number of suicides amidst the U.S. Armed Service members have constantly increased in the past decade, so has the rate of survivors affected by military suicide, leading to loss of life. Whenever a loved one loses their life as an outcome of suicide, the resulting trauma and shock might compromise the survivors' physical and mental health. This leaves the victims more susceptible to a more agonizing and intricate grief process. Those individuals bereaved by suicide are at an increasing danger of also committing suicide. Peer encouragement, a recognized recuperation method from addictions and sickness, has been clinically monitored to be broadly used by the suicide loss survivors. Researchers have given minimal interest to effective interventions for the victims of suicide loss in the general U.S. population; less is recognized regarding the efficiency of peer support amidst survivors of a U.S. military suicide loss of life (Harrington-LaMorie, 2011).
Lasting effects are imposed by military suicides on survivors whose lives are permanently changed (Shneidman, 1972, p. xi). For every individual that dies via suicide, conservative approximations are that six people with close relationships to the deceased are directly impacted (American Association of Suicidology, 2010). Regardless whether the death is through indirect or direct actions of self-destruction, suicide is usually encountered as an abrupt, traumatic loss. With every suicide death of a service member, allies, military families, and significant others are greatly affected spiritually, socially, emotionally, as well as physically, in its repercussion. The abruptness of the loss frequently crisscrosses with a stigmatizing sorrow, making the suicide survivors' loss more susceptible to an upsetting, secluded, and intricate grief process. The literature proposes that survivors impacted by suicide loss fight with more strong and prominent "thematic issues" (Jordan, 2008, p. 680) like social seclusion, embarrassment, guilt, traumatic symptoms, apparent rejection, complex grief, and their own suicidality, contributing to the susceptibility of the survivor to constant distress and psychiatric disorders (Cerel, Padgett, Conwell, & Reed, 2009).
Military workers have lost their lives to suicide, whether in battle or at peacetime (Harrington-LaMorie & Ruocco, 2010). Suicide in military has been present since the existence of standing armies (Defense Health Board, 2010, p. 11). According to history, suicide rates at peacetime are normally less than the U. S civilian suicide rate by 50% to 55% and 20% to 30%, respectively (Kang & Bullman, 2008). Presently, with the suicide rates increasing amidst all service branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, the necessity to increase suicide avoidance, intervention, and post-intervention are a crucial mental and health catastrophe experienced by the Department of Defense (DOD). Ever since the interception of the disagreements in Iraq (2003) and Afghanistan (2001), there has been a disturbing increase in the suicide rates in active-duty armed services workers (Harrington-LaMorie & Ruocco, 2010). The suicide rate for every service started increasing in 2002, with the most frequent manner of death being a self-inflicted gunshot injury (Kang & Bullman, 2008). 41% of these deaths were documented as utilizing non-military issued guns (Defense Health Board, 2010).
The U.S. Army and Marine Corps have experienced the most deployments and exposure to war in both Afghanistan and Iraq, since the battles started. Presently, both of these service branches have had the highest increase and constant spike in suicide rates. The question of how best to assist suicide survivors remains an issue of concern (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 2010, p. 2). Even less is recognized, regarding treatment and prevention for survivors.
This paper analyses the issue of suicide in the military, the associated theoretical framework, factors which can assist explain the issue, policy, remedies/interventions and the legality / ethicality of the issue.
Related Theoretical Framework(s)
Though a lot of studies have been conducted on suicidal behaviors in a theoretical context, theories of suicide spanning different outlooks have been suggested. According to biological theories, suicidal behavior is an outcome of the dual presence of a biologically-founded diathesis as well as an activating personal stressor. Psychodynamic theories suggest that suicide is a result of unconscious forces, strong affective conditions, longing of breaking out from psychological hurt, existential drives for purpose, and disturbed connection. Cognitive-behavioral theories put forward casual roles for despair, the suicidal cognitive mode, shortage in autobiographical memory and views of entrapment, and emotional dysregulation. Systems/developmental theories put forward casual roles for disturbed family systems and social forces (Orden, et al., 2011).
The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide
Suicidal behavior is one of the main issues globally that has gotten relatively...
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