Conclusion
These reviews analyze why many war veterans are committing suicide. Based on the various questions addressed by each study, one can deduce that war veterans have specific environmental and social factors that influence their tendency towards suicide. On the other hand, one finds it challenging to make a definitive conclusion concerning the high rates of suicide among war veterans, unlike among the general population. War veterans form a heterogeneous group comprising of diverse age groups and engaged in different conflicts with separate risks. Hence, making appropriate comparisons is crucial. That is not often feasible since studies on war veterans use different access approaches, highlight different periods. At the same time, it is hard to identify the levels of war exposure within research cohorts. On the other hand, soldiers who were engaged in conflicts such as the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have higher risks of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and subsequently committing suicide.
Even with factors like the Healthy Soldier Effect, good physical and mental wellbeing do not always protect a person from adverse impacts of war exposure and increased death rates from suicide. Approaches like the stress-vulnerability model can help in understanding these concerns. This model incorporates both psychosocial and biological factors that explore the interaction of various forms of stress as a contributing factor towards suicidal tendencies. On the other hand, several elements of this phenomenon are engraved in profound existential and psychological challenges of soldiers involved in wars led by the United States and her allies in overseas countries. Thus, conventional factors alone cannot explain the problem of increased suicide among war veterans. Soldiers returning from war also undergo isolation from the general life and experience identity problems. Complicated interpersonal challenges and acquired abilities to handle the fear of excruciating pains also contribute to high suicide rates among war veterans.
Despite the differences between various studies, the overall conclusion is that war veterans suffer from mental health illnesses such as depression and PTSD, and suicide is a common phenomenon among them. Several pieces of research focus on PTSD as a significant underlying disorder; however, some researchers note that PTSD has a substantial impact on suicide risk, particularly in comorbidity with psychiatric disorders like depression. On the other hand, mental illness cannot provide all the explanations for high suicide cases among war veterans. Notably, most veterans consider suicide as a pathway to alleviate pain and excessive suffering, which are separate from other diagnoses. Comparing suicide rates among war veterans and the general population is not significant. Instead, what is important is considering the moral duty of society towards individuals suffering from several physical and psychological illnesses after serving as soldiers. This phenomenon also reveals how exposure to stressful working environments exposes hidden vulnerabilities and thus produce mental disorders.
Moreover, impulsive and aggressive training aspects often applied to soldiers could contribute to adverse outcomes in civilian life after retirement. Several interdisciplinary pieces of research are necessary to comprehend stress resilience and vulnerability among war veterans, such as spiritual, mental, social, epigenetic, and cognitive factors. To develop preventing measures, the three studies described in this study depend on notable suicide prevention approaches. Every model highlighted herein is relevant in combating increased suicide rates among war veterans. Different methods address separate groups. For instance, the universal prevention model focuses on the general population; the selective approach focuses on those with higher risks like war veterans, while the indicated model addresses the symptoms. The last model focuses on individuals who have developed mood disorders and PTSD, suffered brain trauma, had wounds that cause residual pain syndrome, or experienced crisis, exclusion, and isolation.
From this perspective, suicide prevention measures among war veterans should focus on the following factors. The first one is advanced screening at military admission; for instance, early childhood events should be scrutinized seriously while also considering potential genetical variables. Secondly, improved training strategies such as stress inoculation and support should be implemented. Third, veterans’ status strategies focused on enhanced recognition of psychological health disorders and advanced therapy of comorbid mental illness should be applied. Fourthly, better regulation, physical wellbeing, rehabilitation from pain, and trauma management. The fifth concern is the advanced identification of suicidal behaviors. Lastly, the preventive measures should address family and social support, potential counterbalancing acquired ability, social inclusion, and approaches to handle a thwarted sense of belonging and reduce the feeling of burdensome. Several aspects of these methods are already implemented, although they are not comprehensively analyzed. Combining stress-vulnerability acquirement through genetic mechanisms and modern advanced research on the developmental trajectory is necessary when addressing suicide among war veterans.