Department of Defense Releases 2023 Military Suicide Report

Despite a slight dip the previous year – and the best efforts of the armed forces – more soldiers took their lives last year.

That’s the latest from The Department of Defense’s just-released Annual Report on Suicide in the Military (ARSM) for 2023. The reports documents the latest data on suicide rates among service members and their loved ones. It also includes a comprehensive overview of existing and planned prevention efforts.

Key Findings

The report detailed 523 service member suicides in 2023, an uptick from 493 in 2022, which represent a 9 percent jump in the overall rate of suicide deaths per 100,000 soldiers. Among active-duty personnel, the rate crept up 12 percent compared to the previous year.

Since 2011, active-duty suicide rates have been on the rise. The persistent increase echoes the general population after compensating for age and gender. Most suicides occurred among young, enlisted men. Firearms accounted for nearly two-thirds – or 65 percent – of suicide cases among active-duty personnel.

The report also looked at suicide rates among family members. In 2022, the most recent year for which data is available, 146 family members took their own lives, a slight drop from 165 in 2021 – a 9 percent reduction.

Expanded Suicide Prevention Measures

In a bid to stem the tide of military suicides, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III launched the Suicide Prevention Response and Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) in May 2022. After an exhaustive assessment of both clinical and non-clinical programs, the panel offered more than 100 recommendations to bolster prevention and response initiatives.

Based on these findings, Austin oversaw a suicide prevention campaign in September 2023. The plan centered on five critical areas:

1. Fostering a Supportive Environment: Promoting resilience and community among Service members and families.
2. Improving Mental Health Care Delivery: Ensuring timely and accessible care for those in need.
3. Addressing Stigma and Barriers to Care: Encouraging open discussions around mental health and seeking help.
4. Revising Suicide Prevention Training: Enhancing education to better equip Service members and leaders.
5. Promoting Lethal Means Safety: Educating on safe firearm storage and other measures to reduce impulsive actions.

DoD officials added that it’s committing additional funding in fiscal year 2025 to accelerate sustain these prevention efforts and reverse this trend.

A Long-Term Commitment

DoD officials stressed the importance of sustained reductions in suicide rates over time. Among Reserve and National Guard members, there were no significant long-term trends in either direction between 2011 and 2022. For family members, while recent data suggests a modest decline in rates, more analysis is needed to confirm lasting improvements.

“We are dedicated to fighting for our service members by fostering supportive team cultures and tackling the stigma of asking for help and other barriers to care,” Austin said in a statement. “We continue working hard to improve the delivery of mental health care, bolster suicide prevention training, and educate people about lethal means safety.  There’s still much more work to do, and we won’t let up. The Department mourns our teammates whom we’ve lost to suicide. And through our actions — by taking care of our people, and prioritizing the health, well-being, and morale of our force — we honor their memories.”

Further Reading

Prevalence, Correlates, and Burden of Subthreshold PTSD in US Veterans

A Psychiatrist Revisits His Mother’s Suicide to Find Healing, Insight

History of Suicide Attempt and Clozapine in Veterans With Schizophrenia