Suicide Prevention & Iraq-Afghanistan Vets

Suicide Prevention Week is September 6-12, 2009. This annual campaign tries to raise national awareness of how depression and other mental health problems can lead to suicide. The goal of the campaign is to bring attention to the need for family and community support for persons who exhibit the symptoms of mental depression that often leads to suicide.

Over the last five years, suicide statistics have increased dramatically because they now include returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Suicide took the lives of more American soldiers than Al Qaeda and the Iraqi insurgency combined. News of this shocking spike in suicides comes as no surprise to anyone who has been following this issue. 2008 marked the highest rate of military suicide in decades, and suicide rates have been rising every year since the start of the Iraq war.

Have your students investigate the reasons why veterans, who are generally young and healthy, would want to end their lives. Assign students to write a report of at least 150 words or a presentation of at least two minutes and seven slides. The report should cite at least four resources and address the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):

• What are at least three major reasons that these veterans commit suicide?
• What are the major symptoms that usually accompany veterans who commit suicide?
• How can the Veteran's Administration provide the mental health support for veterans?
• Beside mental health support, what other types of support must the government provide veterans and why?
• How can families provide support for these veterans?

Type "Iraq veterans suicide" in the Basic Search box. Click "Iraq (location) AND Suicides & suicide attempts."

Use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

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