I think the key distinction is that generally they didn’t (often don’t) care. Military is about results. Results from the individual or unit and for the organization, group, or nation. Mental health doesn’t even enter the picture.
Edit: also, I think for a very long time even after medical science on PTSD became more clear, the response was more “get fucked” and not “my bad”
(I know I’m taking a meme too literally. Good meme, I was amused)
PTSD has very real consequences but I’m not sure the suicide rate itself is that strongly correlated (if anything I suspect that high percent is because fewer died in active conflict and a higher percent of military personnel aren’t front line combat) : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178123001336
It relates because PTSD is a really serious thing and, like you said, mental health is not a concern for the people in charge. I’m agreeing with you.
Is this the whole paper or is there a link I’m missing to read more? It doesn’t seem to disagree that military involvement increases suicide rates:
U.S. Army annual suicide rates for males generally paralleled trends in the civilian population, but did so in a more dramatic fashion.
FWIW the 36% didn’t come from nowhere, I used the data available on the OSD website. I started looking into the suicide rates of other professions but the CDC breaks it down in a different way (per 100k, not total deaths) and I lost interest while trying to convert it. Either way, 1/3 of deaths being suicide is a lot.
I think the key distinction is that generally they didn’t (often don’t) care. Military is about results. Results from the individual or unit and for the organization, group, or nation. Mental health doesn’t even enter the picture.
Edit: also, I think for a very long time even after medical science on PTSD became more clear, the response was more “get fucked” and not “my bad”
(I know I’m taking a meme too literally. Good meme, I was amused)
Did you know that between 2013-2022, 36% of active duty US military deaths were from suicide?
Not sure how that relates to my point
PTSD has very real consequences but I’m not sure the suicide rate itself is that strongly correlated (if anything I suspect that high percent is because fewer died in active conflict and a higher percent of military personnel aren’t front line combat) : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178123001336
It relates because PTSD is a really serious thing and, like you said, mental health is not a concern for the people in charge. I’m agreeing with you.
Is this the whole paper or is there a link I’m missing to read more? It doesn’t seem to disagree that military involvement increases suicide rates:
FWIW the 36% didn’t come from nowhere, I used the data available on the OSD website. I started looking into the suicide rates of other professions but the CDC breaks it down in a different way (per 100k, not total deaths) and I lost interest while trying to convert it. Either way, 1/3 of deaths being suicide is a lot.