Suicides in Military-A Comprehensive Review Needed

Suicide is difficult to predict and prevent and remains a leading cause of death worldwide. Although soldiers historically have had a suicide rate well below that of the general population, Indian Army, being the largest among the three forces, witnessed the highest number of suicides has increased markedly over the past several years. As many as 116 army personnel committed suicide in 2010. The figure offers some respite for the army top brass and the Indian government as the number of suicidal deaths witnessed a decrease with 86 suicides reported in 2013. From an all-time high of 129 in 2006, the number of suicides by armed personnel had dipped to 86 in 2013 and rose again to 108 in 2014.