Case Studies in Military Suicide Prevention- Understanding and Responding to Suicidal Ideations

Case Studies in Military Suicide Prevention- Understanding and Responding to Suicidal Ideations

Case One: James

When James McGuffey was 30 years old, he attempted to commit suicide twice; in the first instance, he swallowed a bottle of pills with bourbon, but his friends found him and took him to hospital. The pills were pumped out of his stomach. He begged his friends not to report the incident to his commanding officer. The friends promised not to report on the condition that he would seek psychological help. James did not keep his promise, and a month later, he was half drunk and had stuck a pistol in his mouth. He had accumulated years of stress and had refused to address the same for fear of affecting his career progression (Britzky, 2015).

Questions:

Do you have a buddy system that ensures military staff have someone to confide in?

Are supervisors trained to identify staff with drinking and drug abuse problems?

Do you have a system in place that allows for frequent psychiatric evaluation of staff?

Do you conduct random drug and alcohol tests for staff?

Case Two: Jane

The second case is that of Jane Morsel, who was affected by the death of his friend Geoffrey Morris who was killed by a grenade. Thinking of this death made Morsel have suicidal thoughts. Morsel had served three tours in Iraq, and after the third tour, he was a changed person. He began to drink alcohol excessively. As time passed, he thought more and more of killing himself (US Veterans, n.d).

Questions

Do you have staff training that focuses on identifying symptoms of depression and PTSD?

What system do you have in place that allows confidential reporting of staff in need of help?

Is there a trained psychologist in the military base?

Do you have reading material, such as pamphlets, that staff can access regarding mental health?

Case Three

The anonymous soldier said that he had suicidal thoughts built up in his mind despite him being a success as a battalion intelligence and company commander officer in combat and garrison. Still, he felt like a failure as a husband, a parent, a soldier, and an officer. He also said that he felt like a letdown to his mentors. One time, his wife and children took a vacation while the soldiers stayed at home because of his work. He felt that it was the right time to start his suicidal thoughts. In a last-minute decision, while completely sober and feeling emotionless, he took a loaded gun and was ready to shoot himself. However, the soldier opted to do a dry test where he emptied the gun. He then put the gun to his chest and pulled the trigger. The clicking sound of the gun made him snap out of his suicidal thoughts. He said aloud to himself, “What am I doing?” At that point, the soldier realized why the survivors regretted why they jumped (Anonymous Soldier, 2020).

Questions

What stress-relieving options do staff have at the base?

Do the stress relieving options exacerbate mental illness, e.g. having a pub at the base?

Is there a way for family and friends to confidentially report on the staff’s mental health?

Is there a way that staff can confidently report their mental status without fear of career repercussions?

Prevention of suicide among soldiers goes further than intervention. Intervention means that the root of the problem is addressed. Prevention will call for taking care of self and others before mental health issues result in suicidal ideations and eventual suicide. Every person who has mental health and coping challenges should not be afraid to speak to someone they are close to and to seek professional psychological help as well. Stigmatization and fear should not prevent a person, including military personnel, from seeking professional help.

References

Anonymous Soldier (2020, September 18). My Story: Overcoming Suicidal Ideations https://www.army.mil/article/239193/my_story_overcoming_suicidal_ideations

Britzky, H (2021, March, 15th). Task and Purpose. https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-suicide-prevention-soldiers-veterans/

US Veterans Magazine (n.d). Suicide Prevention: One Marine’s Story https://usveteransmagazine.com/2020/03/suicide-prevention-one-marines-story/

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I need 3 case studies written with military personnel as the characters and pertaining to suicide prevention. The scenarios should be based on possible suicidal ideations and attempts. Very detailed, please.

Case Studies in Military Suicide Prevention- Understanding and Responding to Suicidal Ideations

Also, there should be four questions for each case study. The case study should be no more than half a page and not include questions.