Suicide Prevention Month: Support is within reach at USAFA
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – If you or someone you know needs support now, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
By Beth Reece and Katherine Spessa
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications and Air Force Medical Service Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – On the one-year anniversary of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin releasing a memorandum directing urgent action to address suicide in the military community across five lines of effort, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force as a whole have been working diligently to lower rates of suicide.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2022, 49,476 Americans died by suicide – that’s about 1 death every 11 minutes.
For decades, the problem of suicide has grown worse – suicides now account for 25 percent of all active-duty military deaths and rates in the Air Force have risen even faster than other military branches.
September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Academy leaders are reminding cadets, faculty, staff and family members to take care of their mental health and recognize signs of distress and hopelessness in others.
“Suicide as an act is preventable,” said Academy Chaplain (Capt.) William Petree. “Awareness, resources, and simple compassion and companionship are so important in that.”
Local resources
Following the Secretary’s establishment of the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee in 2022, a dedicated prevention workforce at each installation was established.
The seven-person team here is led by Dr. Warren Robinson and works to integrate all suicide prevention efforts and provide training, education materials and programs specifically meant to target self-directed violence risk factors.
“We focus on building protective factors to lower risk,” said Robinson. “We advise leaders, conduct research, and work together as a community through leadership, helping agencies, families and community partners to really reduce these behaviors from happening.”
In addition to Robinson’s team of prevention specialists, the Academy has chaplains; mental and behavioral health specialists; and embedded counselors.
“We’re the only agency in the government that has that type of an ironclad safety structure around our offices,” said Petree of the chaplain corps. “People can come in and really have a safe space to get upset and talk about whatever is going on and I can get them the help they need.”
The mental health clinic, along with its embedded counselors in the cadet wing and security forces squadron, provides treatment for those who either self-identify as needing assistance or those who have been command directed to do so.
“Here at the Academy, anything that poses a risk to a members military service or career is a primary risk factor,” said Lt. Col. Renel Ramos, 10th Medical Operations Squadron psychological health director.
With that in mind, Ramos works closely with unit leaders to ensure that if a cadet or permanent party member is experiencing legal or academic issues, their leaders know to encourage or refer those members for mental health care.
Strong relationships
Chaplain corps, mental health professionals and suicide prevention experts all agree that strong connections are a primary factor in preventing suicide.
“When people go through adversity and stress and trauma together, they are much better able to cope and work through that, rather than going through that by themselves,” said Robinson.
Among the many prevention tools offered at the Academy, relationship, attachment and secure bond leadership classes are offered, highlighting the importance of relationships and interconnectedness in preventing self-harm.
“We know that people with a secure attachment style are very low risk for suicide because if you’re secure, you’re more likely to be accessible, responsible and engaged with those around you,” said Robinson about attachment styles in interpersonal and professional relationships. “So, we want to encourage those who might be one of the insecure styles and give them some tools. Those with secure attachment style still undergo all the stress and problems that others do, but they’re more likely to ask for help if they need it.”
Go SLO Campaign: Lethal means safety
“In some of the counseling I’ve done, I’ve said, ‘Taking your life is a permanent decision, do you think you could wait half an hour before you make that decision?’” said Petree. “If you can get them to commit to half an hour, you can get them to commit to a day, if you can get them to commit to a day, you can commit to another.”
According to research, creating safe storage solutions for firearms can create that initial delay of half an hour and thus prevent the suicide from happening. Accordingly, the “Go SLO” campaign was developed encouraging three recommended options for lethal means storage: in Safes, with Locks, or Outside the home.
The same theory can be applied to other methods of self-harm, encouraging safe storage of medications and poisons that can be used for overdose; building barriers to jumping from lethal heights; and removing objects that can be used for strangulation.
“Suicide is often impulsive,” said Robinson. “They feel like their life has been taken apart and they see their gun across the room and they end their life.
“If you put in a time buffer – the time it takes to open a safe, take a gun lock off, or even better, you stored it someplace outside of your home – the research is really clear that can be enough time for that person to snap out of that impulsive decision-making phase.”
Here at the Academy, people can store their firearms in the installation armory, or use one of several gun stores in the Colorado Springs area who offer free firearm storage. The integrated prevention team offers an interactive map to find a store close to you that offers storage.
Free gun locks are also available at several locations throughout the installation and can be provided by the prevention team.
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
The nationwide Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by dialing 988 or visiting https://988lifeline.org. The 24-hour service includes an online chat option and provides free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as prevention and crisis resources to help others.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline network has over 200 crisis contact centers staffed by mental health professionals who are trained to handle immediate crises. Calls are routed to the closest center based on area code to connect callers to counselors in their state. Crisis counselors are also familiar with community mental health resources and can provide referrals to local services.
Veterans Crisis Line
The Veterans Crisis Line provides 24/7 confidential support for active-duty service members, veterans and their loved ones. Numbers vary by location, but all callers should press 1 as the call begins.
- Continental United States: 988
- Europe: 844-702-5495 or DSN 988
- Southwest Asia: 855-422-7719 or DSN 988
- Pacific: 844-702-5493 or DSN 988
Brandon Act
The Brandon Act, signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2021, creates a self-initiated referral process for service members seeking a mental health evaluation and aims to reduce stigma by allowing them to seek help confidentially.
Although some services and units are still implementing requirements of the Brandon Act, any service member who feels they need a mental health evaluation only needs to ask their supervisor. The request can be made anywhere, anytime, without an explanation. The supervisor will then ensure that a confidential mental health evaluation occurs as soon as possible.
The act is named after Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Caserta, who died by suicide in 2018.
Know the Risk Factors
The causes of suicide are complex and determined by numerous biological, psychological, environmental and social influences. Risk factors are characteristics that make it more likely that someone will consider, attempt or die by suicide. They can’t cause or predict a suicide attempt, but they’re important to be aware of and include:
- Mental disorders, particularly mood disorders, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and certain personality disorders
- Alcohol and other substance use disorders
- Hopelessness
- Impulsive and/or aggressive tendencies
- History of trauma or abuse
- Major physical illnesses
- Previous suicide attempt(s)
- Family history of suicide
- Job or financial loss
- Loss of relationship(s)
- Easy access to lethal means
- Local clusters of suicide
- Lack of social support and sense of isolation
- Stigma associated with asking for help
- Lack of healthcare, especially mental health and substance abuse treatment
- Cultural and religious beliefs, such as the belief that suicide is a noble resolution of a personal dilemma
- Exposure to others who have died by suicide (in real life or via the media and Internet)
Know the Warning Signs
Some warning signs may help you determine if a loved one is at risk for suicide, especially if the behavior is new, has increased, or seems related to a painful event, loss or change. If you or someone you know exhibits any of these, seek help by calling the resources listed above.
- Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, like searching online or buying a gun
- Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
- Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
- Talking about being a burden to others
- Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
- Acting anxious or agitated, behaving recklessly
- Sleeping too little or too much
- Withdrawing or isolating themselves
- Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
- Extreme mood swings