Return and Reunion Brief for Spouses

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UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAM 2007 Update

LCDR Aaron D. Werbel, Ph.D.Behavioral Health
Affairs OfficerHeadquarters, US Marine
CorpsManpower Reserve Affairs aaron.werbel_at_usmc
.mil703-432-9435
Ms. Christina Bruce, M.S.Program AnalystSuicide
Prevention ProgramHeadquarters, US Marine
Corps christina.bruce_at_usmc.mil703-432-9434

Updated 6 June 2007
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MARINE CORPS ANNUAL SUICIDE RATE
US Civilian Rate
10-Year USMC Average
Year Rate 2006 24 12.4 2005
26 13.4 2004 34 17.5
US civilian rate is adjusted to match the
demographics of the Marine Corps using age, race
and gender.
Updated June 2007
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MARINE CORPS MONTHLY SUICIDE ANALYSIS
Through May 2007
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MARINE CORPS SUICIDE STATS
Through May
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CY07 SUICIDE DEMOGRAPHICS
Through May 2007
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DEMOGRAPHIC CHALLANGES

• Youngest Service Members
• 62 of Marines are under 25
• Compare to 41 for Navy
• 16 are teenagers
• Most Males
• 94 of Marines are male
• Compare to 85 for Navy
• Most Single
• 56 single
• Compare to 47 for Navy
• Marines have a high OpTempo
• 48 of active duty Marines have deployed into
  Iraq
• and Afghanistan since 9/11

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OEF/OIF USMC SUICIDES
The USMC suicide rate is significantly below a
demographically similar civilian rate.
Civilian Rate per 100,000
USMC Rate per 100,000
Number of Suicides
The USMC suicide rate is statistically the same
as the other services.
Through May
Marines with a past or current deployment are not
over-represented among Marine Suicides. Most
Marines who die by suicide have never deployed in
support of OEF/OIF.
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COLLABORATION

• Military
• Suicide Prevention and Risk Reduction Committee
• DoD (OASD) Committee, Suicide Prevention Program
  Managers for each service.
• Annual Military Suicide Prevention Conference
• Rate Calculation and Reporting Standardization
• Suicide Nomenclature Standardization
• Foreign Military
• UK Royal Marines, Norwegian Armed Forces, etc.
• Civilian
• Research
• Florida State University, Research Triangle
  Institute, Naval Post Graduate School
• Conferences
• American Association of Suicidology,
  International Association for Suicide Prevention,
  American Psychological Association
• Consultation
• Centers for Disease Control, Suicide Prevention
  Resource Center

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CONTINUING AND NEW INITIATIVES

• Newly Designed HQMC Website
• Toolboxes for commands, marine/family, providers

Leaders Guide for Managing Marines in
Distress www.usmc-mccs.org/leadersguide Downloada
ble version for hard drive/CD-ROM Pocket guide
Wave top information for the initial crisis

• Distance Learning Course
• www.marinenet.usmc.mil
• Interactive, video game feel

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CONTINUING AND NEW INITIATIVES

• Annual Conferences
• 2007 Annual DoD Suicide Prevention Conference
  w/Marine Corps Breakout

HQMC COSC Team Member OSCAR Program

• Marine Corps Order on Suicide Prevention
• New MCO in 2007 in progress

Research DONSIR Annual Report
DoD Working Group Rate calculation, reporting and
nomenclature standardization
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UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAM 2007 UpdateFor more information please
contact

LCDR Aaron D. Werbel, Ph.D.Behavioral Health
Affairs OfficerHeadquarters, US Marine
CorpsManpower Reserve Affairs aaron.werbel_at_usmc
.mil703-432-9435
Ms. Christina Bruce, M.S.Program AnalystSuicide
Prevention ProgramHeadquarters, US Marine
Corps christina.bruce_at_usmc.mil703-432-9434