WASHINGTON — Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to stem, according to a Defense Department report released Thursday. This increase represents a slight setback after a slight drop in the number of deaths the previous year.

The number of suicides and the rate per 100,000 active-duty military personnel increased, but the increase was not statistically significant. The number also increased among reservists, while it decreased slightly for the National Guard.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said the issue is a priority, and top leaders from the Department of Defense and across the services have been working to develop programs to increase health assistance mental health for troops and to increase education on firearm safety, locking and storage. However, many programs have not yet been fully implemented and the measures taken do not match the more drastic gun safety measures recommended by an independent commission.

In a statement released Thursday, Austin said the new figures “urgently demonstrate the need for the department to redouble its efforts in the complex areas of suicide prevention and postvention.” He said the ministry was acting urgently to implement changes, adding: “There is still a lot of work to do and we are not going to let up. »

The increase was fueled by rising deaths in the Army and Air Force, while the Marine Corps and Navy saw a very slight decline.

A total of 523 suicides were reported in 2023, compared to 493 in 2022. The number of active duty soldiers who died by suicide increased from 331 to 363.

Officials said that because the size of the active-duty force has declined in recent years, they believe the rate of suicides, rather than their number, is a more accurate measure. The suicide rate is calculated based on an active duty force of about 1.28 million, about 330,000 reservists and nearly 430,000 in the Guard. The rate for active-duty military and reservists increased, while the Guard’s rate was lower.

More generally, however, the trend since 2011 has been an increase in suicides among active-duty military personnel, while the Guard and Reserve have remained largely stable. Officials said the statistics generally reflect the suicide rates of society as a whole, when adjusted for age and gender, because the majority of service members are young and male.

The annual report’s analysis also shows continuing trends in who and how they commit suicide. The report shows that young male soldiers still make up the vast majority of suicides. and that the majority of deaths involve the use of a firearm.

Data on suicides of soldiers’ family members is a year behind schedule. But it shows that fewer family members committed suicide in 2022 than the previous year, with the rate decreasing by 9%. Although there are far fewer male spouses, they account for almost half of suicide deaths.

An independent panel recommended early last year that the department implement a series of gun safety measures to reduce suicides within the force, including waiting periods for purchase of firearms and ammunition by military personnel on military property.

The commission said the department should raise the minimum age for military members to purchase guns and ammunition to 25 and require anyone living in military housing to register all private firearms. Additionally, he said the department should restrict private gun ownership and storage in military barracks and dormitories.

In response to that report, Austin launched a new campaign to combat suicides on the force, but the department chose not to implement key changes proposed by the firearms commission. Instead, the Pentagon said it would “encourage” secure storage of firearms, provide more storage locations and increase public awareness about how to store weapons safely – as measures that officials have spoken about in the past.

Defense officials said those changes, which could include providing troops with a voucher to cover some costs related to locks and weapons storage, are in the works but have not been finalized. They are still working to modernize training programs to better educate troops on the safe storage and use of firearms and reduce the stigma of seeking mental health support.

Additionally, the military services are recruiting personnel to implement prevention programs, and as of this summer, approximately 1,000 professionals have been hired with a goal of 2,500 by 2028.

The National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also online chat at 988lifeline.org.