Fewer US service members to die by suicide in 2024, with the number of deaths down 11% from a year earlier to 471, according to a Pentagon report Released on Tuesday.
The suicide rate per 100,000 service members also declined compared to 2023, the report said. The shortage emerged during the Biden administration under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and followed Increase in the number of military suicides In 2023.
The suicide rate among active duty troops overall has increased slowly between 2011 and 2024, while the National Guard and Reserves have remained largely stable, the report said, despite declining in 2024.
Military statistics generally reflect suicide rates across society when adjusted for age and gender, as the military is overwhelmingly young and male. The report said the overall trend in suicide rates for active duty service members “reflects the increase in the U.S. population suicide rate over time.”
“It remains to be seen whether the observed short-term reduction in active ingredient in 2024 will signal a change in long-term trends,” the report said.
Suicide prevention has increasingly become a focus in the Army in recent years, with Austin declaring it a priority during his tenure. Top leaders from the Pentagon and military services have worked to develop programs to increase mental health support for troops and promote education on gun safety, locks and storage.
brandon actA law passed in 2021, following the suicide of a Navy sailor, allows service members to seek help confidentially “for any reason, at any time and in any environment,” the report said.
The report said the majority of service members who died by suicide in 2024 were men under the age of 30. The number of active duty service members who died by suicide that year was 302, while 64 were reservists, and 105 were in the National Guard.
According to the report, nearly half of active duty service members who die by suicide in 2024 had a mental health diagnosis such as alcohol use disorder, depression or anxiety. One third had workplace difficulties, while 45% had intimate relationship problems.
“Recognizing that every death by suicide is a tragedy, the Department will continue to take action to support our men and women in uniform and their families, promote the well-being and resiliency of the force, and take steps to prevent suicide in our military community,” the Pentagon said in a news release after the report was published.
The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat available 988lifeline.org.
