Army Suicide Campaign

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In March 2009, in response to a growing number of Army suicides, the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army released the Army Campaign Plan for Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention (ACPHP), and chartered the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force (ASPTF) and the Army Suicide Prevention Council (ASPC). Since that time, the Army has invested tremendous effort in investigating the causes of suicide within its ranks and in implementing policies and programs whose sole purpose is to promote resilience, prevent suicides, and enhance the readiness of the Force. The challenge of suicide remains a deep concern of the Nation and Department of the Army. Suicide is a multi-faceted problem that requires an equally sophisticated response. Life stressors …show more content…
To address this tragic problem, the Army has instituted a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach to health promotion, risk reduction, and suicide prevention that addresses the many challenges our Soldiers, Families and Army Civilians face. It is difficult to measure the behavioral impact of these efforts since no methodology has yet been developed to identify suicides that were avoided due to the establishment of new programs and policies. However, with the implementation of this 2020 Suicide Prevention Strategy, the Army will attempt to shift its culture by increasing the emphasis on leader involvement to protect and promote …show more content…
Greater coordination of efforts among different stakeholders and settings can increase the reach and impact of suicide prevention activities, while preventing duplication and promoting greater cost-effectiveness of efforts. In particular, it is important to take advantage of existing programs and efforts that address risk and protective factors for suicidal behaviors, including programs that may not yet include suicide as an area of focus. For example, many school-based programs seek to prevent drug use and violence among youth by building problem-solving skills and increasing connectedness to teachers, mentors, and other caring adults in the community. These types of strategies can also be useful for suicide