(Marine Corps Times) Editorial: Fewer stressors may help

[unhappycamper]

Fewer stressors may help

When it comes to suicides among large groups of people — whether it’s college kids or, in this case, Marines — rarely do investigators find a single, unifying reason.

That holds true for the 41 Marines, a rifle platoon’s worth, who killed themselves in 2008. More than three times that many attempted suicide.

Suicides are up in the other services, too. For the Corps, it was the worst year in more than a decade for self-inflicted deaths and suicide attempts.

Leaders responded by ordering suicide prevention training for every Marine by the end of this month. That is the tried-and-true “safety standdown” mentality, but it’s not enough.

Marines already attend mandatory suicide prevention training each year. the issue is more than just a lack of awareness. Consider the state of the Corps:



Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/community/opinion/marine_editorial_stressors_031609/%2e