Suicide prevention still high priority for Maxwell-Gunter leadership

  • Published
  • By Carl Poteat
  • Air University Public Affairs
Following the recent news that the suicide rate has increased in the U.S. Army, the Air Force is waiting to hear if it has a similar problem.

There has been a significant decline in Airmen suicides since 1996, when the service adopted the Air Force Suicide Prevention Program, according to Capt. (Dr.) Chad Morrow, a psychologist and chief of Mental Health at the 42nd Medical Group.

As the suicide prevention program manager, Captain Morrow said the Air Force is striving to stay below a rate of 13-14 suicides per 100,000 members.

"While we recognize it is nearly impossible, the Air Force's true goal is zero suicides," he said.

Captain Morrow recently returned from a Department of Defense conference on suicide prevention held in San Antonio, where all services were represented along with the Veterans Administration. He said the Air Force prevention program received special note. He added it has drawn interest from major universities in the U.S. as well as governments outside the U.S.

Key to the Air Force program is the "wingman" philosophy which simply means looking out for, or keeping a watch, on your fellow Airman, Captain Morrow explained. He added that losing a sense of belonging or withdrawing is an important sign that someone may be approaching suicide.

He said the "wingman" is especially important as 60 percent of those committing suicide nationwide had no diagnosed psychological behavior disorder.

Captain Morrow said the Air Force prevention program has 11 initiatives that have contributed to its success. The first, Leadership Involvement, has been strong, he said. The second is suicide prevention in professional military education -- a topic now included in all PME courses.

The third initiative concerns information for commanders. Captain Morrow said commanders receive training on how and when to use mental health services and their role in encouraging early help.

The fourth initiative deals with community prevention efforts. Captain Morrow said mental health professionals have become more involved in community efforts to mitigate stress, which leads into the fifth initiative where annual suicide prevention training is provided for all military and civilian employees in the Air Force.

In the sixth initiative, Investigative Interview Policy, the investigator is required to "hand off" an Airman under investigation directly to the commander, first sergeant or supervisor following any investigative interview.

In the seventh initiative, trauma stress response teams were established worldwide to respond to traumatic incidents and help people deal with the emotions they experience.

For the eighth initiative, the Integrated Delivery System and Community Action Information Board were established to coordinate the activities of the various base helping agencies to identify and resolve community problems, Captain Morrow said.

Limited Privilege Suicide Prevention Program is the ninth initiative. Captain Morrow explained patients at risk for suicide are afforded increased confidentiality when seen by mental health providers.

The 10th initiative is the Consultation Assessment Tool. Captain Morrow said this tool allows commanders to assess unit strengths and identify areas of vulnerability.

The final initiative is the Suicide Event Surveillance System which serves to track and identify trends.

Captain Morrow said in past suicides, the stress factors have included problems with relationships, work, legal or financial. Captain Morrow said he couldn't over-emphasize the "wingman" concept. He strongly encouraged anyone who may suspect a suicidal tendency to get the individual to talk to any source of support to include the mental health officer, flight surgeon, chaplain or family support office.

Also of importance is the Air Force's goal to reach 100 percent of civilian and military personnel to complete the Annual Suicide Prevention Training. While this goal is only 1 of the 11 initiatives, it is extremely important in reminding all Air Force personnel that suicide is everyone's problem, not just an Airman, commander or mental health problem, Captain Morrow said.

"Please remember to complete this annual training on ADLS or contact me for an in-person briefing," he added.