washington – According to a Ministry of Defense report The report, published on Thursday, stated that 523 US military suicides were reported in 2023, and 363 of them were active duty troops.

Both of these numbers were an increase from 2022.

About 45 percent of suicides among active-duty soldiers were under the age of 25.

The Department of Defense says suicide is a multifaceted problem, but the main factor experienced by soldiers who die by suicide is relationship problems, with approximately 44% reportedly experiencing some relationship problems.

Over the past year, approximately 1,400 active-duty soldiers attempted to take their own lives. The Air Force reported the highest number of suicide attempts, with 436 suicide attempts. The Navy came in third with 287 suicide attempts. Space Force also reported three suicide attempts.

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Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin declared the issue a priority, and senior leaders in the Department of Defense and other services worked to develop programs to both increase mental health assistance to troops and support training in weapons safety, locks and storage.

In a statement Thursday, Austin said the new figures “demonstrate the urgent need for the Department to redouble its work in the complex areas of suicide prevention and suicide prevention.” He said the ministry was taking urgent action to implement the changes, adding: “There is still a lot of work to be done and we will not give up.”

But many of the programs advocated by Defense Department leaders have not yet been fully implemented, and the moves fall short of tougher gun safety measures recommended by an independent commission.

The Department of Defense report says there are 83 enabling actions as part of the department’s suicide prevention efforts, and their full implementation is expected by 2030. These include:

• Promoting a supportive environment by improving communication and providing predictable planning

• Addressing stigmas and other barriers to care

• Review of suicide prevention education

• Improving mental health care delivery

• Promoting a lethal culture means safety, which means safe storage of firearms, one of the primary means of military suicide

An independent committee recommended the ministry implement it early last year a number of gun safety measures Reducing suicides on the force, including waiting periods for soldiers to purchase firearms and ammunition from military properties.

The commission said the department should raise the gun and ammunition purchasing age for soldiers to 25 and require everyone living in military housing to register all privately owned firearms. In addition, he said the ministry should impose restrictions on the possession and storage of privately owned firearms in military barracks and dormitories.

In response to this report, Austin launched a new campaign to address suicides on the police force, but the department chose not to implement significant firearm changes It was recommended by the commission.

Instead, the Pentagon said it would “encourage” safe firearms storage, provide more storage locations and do more public education on how to store guns safely, similar to steps officials have cited in the past.

Those changes, which could include giving soldiers a voucher to cover gun locking and storage costs, are being studied but not yet completed, defense officials said. They are still working on modernizing training programs to better train soldiers on the safe storage and use of weapons and reduce the stigma around seeking mental health support.

In addition, the military services are recruiting personnel for anti-personnel programs, and as of this summer, nearly 1,000 professionals had been hired, with a goal of 2,500 by 2028.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline by calling or texting 988. Online chat is also available at: 988lifeline.org.