What’s behind the surge in suicides by UK veterans of the Afghan war?
Government expresses concern as 14 former soldiers kill themselves in two months
There has been a surge in suicides this year among former British soldiers who took part in the war in Afghanistan.
More than 70 former and serving personnel took their lives in 2018 and at least 50 suicides occurred last year. Fourteen former and serving personnel are thought to have taken their own lives in the past two months alone.
In response to the news, the minister for veterans, Johnny Mercer said that he would accelerate government plans for a new mental health service for veterans.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Speaking to The Times, he said that “one suicide is one too many,” adding that plans would be brought forward by two months for a “high-intensity” mental health programme for those who are “at their most poorly”.
He said he was particularly concerned about a cluster of recent deaths from “a specific unit that served at a specific time in Afghanistan... the bloodiest time”. The unit concerned is not being named to avoid the chance of publicity causing further loss of life.
Research suggests that delayed-onset post-traumatic stress disorder can arrive a decade or more after the event in question.
“I’m scratching around looking at evidence from across the globe, including the US, Israel and Australia, to understand if there is an event at the ten-year point. I’m yet to see a conclusive basis for that,” said Mercer.
The government has previously been accused of turning a blind eye to the issue, because it did not gather data on veterans, unlike the US, Canada and Australia. The Ministry of Defence has agreed to expand a study into deaths among those who served between 2001 and 2014.
In February, it was revealed that suicides in the active-duty US Air Force surged in 2019 to the highest total in at least three decades.
If you or a person you’re worried about expresses suicidal feelings, you or they should contact a GP or NHS 111. You can also call the Samaritans free on 116 123 for confidential, 24-hour support, or Mind, the mental health charity, on 0300 123 3393.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Who are undecided voters, anyway?
Talking Points They might decide the presidential election
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Wildlife populations drop a 'catastrophic' 73%
Speed Read The decline occurred between 1970 and 2020
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona kicks off swing-state early voting
Speed Read The voting began with less than a month to go before the presidential election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Taliban’s ‘unprecedented’ crackdown on opium poppy crops in Afghanistan
feature Cultivation in former poppy-growing heartland Helmand has been slashed from 120,000 hectares to less than 1,000
By Julia O'Driscoll Published
-
Taliban releases 2 Americans held in Afghanistan
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
American detained in Afghanistan for over 2 years released in prisoner exchange
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Afghanistan: A year after the withdrawal
opinion What did the U.S. leave behind when it pulled out of Afghanistan?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
Prominent cleric who supported female education killed in Afghanistan bombing
Speed Read
By Harold Maass Published
-
What the U.S. accomplished by killing al-Zawahiri
opinion The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web
By Harold Maass Published
-
Officials: U.S. killed top Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
MoD vs BBC: Panorama stands by SAS death squads exposé
Talking Point New evidence suggests one squadron may have unlawfully killed 54 Afghans in six months
By Kate Samuelson Published