PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), suicides

US statistics:

re: suicide rate
soliders who committed suicide:
N = 99 (2006) -- iraq & afghanistan wars
N = 88 (2005) -- iraq & afghanistan wars
N = 102 (1991) -- gulf war

suicide rate:
17.3/100,000 (2006)
9.1/100,000 (2001)

demographics:
"about 2x as many women serving in iraw & afghanistan committed suicide as did women not sent to war."

methods (most common):
firearms (for suicide)
overdose and cutting oneself (for attempted suicide)

factors:
- "failed personal relationships
- legal and financial problems &
- the stress of ther jobs."
- history of psychiatric disorders
("about a quarter of those who killed themselves had a history of at least one psychiatric disorder. of those, 20% had been diagnosed with a MOOD DISORDER such as bipolar disorder and/or depression; and 8% ... with an ANXIETY DISORDER, including post-traumatic stress disorder -- one of the signature injuries of the conflict in iraq."

research:
- "... there was a significant relationship between suicide attempt and number of days deployed in the war zones."
- there was "limited evidence to support the view that multiple ... deployments are a rich factor for suicide behavior."

-- jelinek, p. (AP). "army suicide highest in 26 years." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070816/ap_on_re_st_pe/army_suicides