US Army base shuts down after rise in suicides

[keep_it_real]

By Dan De Luce – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The commander of Fort Campbell army base in Kentucky has ordered a three-day suspension of regular duties to focus on a spike in suicides among his troops amid concern over a wider trend across the armed services.

The "stand-down" on Friday entered its third day at Fort Campbell, which is home to the famed 101st Airborne Division and has recorded the highest rate of suicide in the army, with at least 11 confirmed or suspected suicides.

Brigadier General Stephen Townsend announced the stand-down to focus attention on the problem after two more soldiers took their lives last week.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gOEDhkP9VVYuG0sPh4b3QJTRCNHA

[ensho]

1. it must be BAD if the whole base closes down for 3 days!

has the media picked this up yet? I haven't watched yet today.

this is awful.

[PeteytehMawnstar]

2. same story differant day

[ensho]

3. I think the military is finally realizing the hugeness of the problem

but haven't decided what to do about it.

many group therapys on every base - might in time come up with reasons and solutions.

[PeteytehMawnstar]

6. You may have a point there,

Before i went to college, i was scrounging for funds, and considered the military. My dad was shocked when the recruiter was telling us about how they monitor and treat stress. If they see that the whole screaming marine treatment is making you a bit shaky, they back off.

[rcrush]

4. Thats a good step now shut down all those overseas bases.

[ensho]

5. I'll second that

nt

[azul]

7. could suicide be precipitated by poisoning?

Does chronic exposure to organophosphates cause depression and suicide?

Pesticide poisonings are usually divided into three main categories: occupational exposures, non-occupational accidental exposures (such as domestic accidents) and intentional exposures (suicide and attempted suicide). The World Health Organization (WTO) estimates that 1 million unintentional and 2 million intentional poisonings occur worldwide every year, of which 220,000 are fatal. Pesticide poisoning is a particularly serious problem in developing countries, especially among rural agricultural populations.
This review analyses studies of suicides among pesticide-exposed populations. It also examines human and animal studies of central nervous system toxicity related to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, one of the groups of pesticides associated with pesticide-related suicides. The association between suicide and exposure to pesticides, particularly OPs, is often interpreted as indicating that those working with pesticides have access to poisons in moments of acute distress so suicidal impulses are more likely to result in suicide. However, the authors evaluate the possibility that OP exposure could depress serotonin levels leading to depression, alteration in mood and psychiatric disorders. The authors conclude that OPs are not just agents for suicide but may also be the cause.
PAN UK Current Research Monitor, No. 68: April-June 2005 (http://www.pan-uk.org/pub31.htm)
London L, Flisher AJ, Wesseling C, Mergler D and Kromhout H (2005), Suicide and Exposure to Organophosphate Insecticides: Cause or Effect? American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 47: 308-321.