Every week this year, on average, a sailor has taken their own life.
Mid-way through suicide prevention month, the Navy is staring down one of the worst tolls for self-inflicted deaths in years — and officials are attacking the problem from multiple angles, through training and resources while trying to foster a culture that doesn’t stigmatize mental health.
As of Sept. 6, 42 of the 436,793 sailors in the active-duty and reserve had taken their own lives in 2016. These statistics do not count veterans, with a recent study finding that roughly 20 veterans commit suicide every day.
The Navy’s numbers are on track to be as bad or worse than in the past few years, including a ten-year high of 69 in 2014.
The service is launching a wide-ranging study of sailor suicides and urging everyone across the service to monitor their colleagues and use resources like the Military Crisis Line — 1-800-273-8255 — when they’re in trouble.