Could a nose spray lower the Army's suicide rate?

More soldiers have committed suicide this year than the number who have died in combat, so the Pentagon is investing $3 million into a quick-acting solution

A poster for the army suicide prevention program
(Image credit: U.S. Army)

The Army has a huge suicide problem. In July, the number of soldiers who killed themselves (38) amounted to more than double the number from the previous month; that was also the highest one-month tally since the military began keeping suicide records. That brings this year's total suicides for active-duty soldiers to 116 so far, and doesn't even account for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. To address the rampant problem, the Pentagon is investing $3 million for doctors at the University of Indiana to develop a new solution: A nasal spray that, hopefully, will keep depressed soldiers from making irrational decisions. Here's what you should know about the project:

How bad is the suicide problem?

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us