Military Suicide Research Consortium

The Military Suicide Research Consortium s ultimate goal is suicide prevention in the military, through research, including on primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions, as well as through information managementscientific communications cataloguing and disseminating knowledge on military suicide. Specifically, suicidal personnel compromise force readiness, place a strain on the healthcare resources of the military, impact unit morale, and take a large emotional toll on the involved friends, family, and commanders. There is significant stigma associated with being suicidal, which limits the extent to which at-risk individuals are willing to seek help. Moreover, decision-makers need a go-to resource for accurate, efficient, and fast answers regarding suicidal behavior as policies and programs are developed. The Military Suicide Research Consortium is designed to facilitate information managementscientific communications for the DoD and to maximize research efforts at understanding and improving suicide risk screening and assessment, interventions, and population-level prevention programs, as well as to address other pressing research needs e.g., basic research including neuroscientific and genetic approaches. Programs and projects conducted by the Consortium ensure that information managementscientific communications occur seamlessly, and that screening and assessment, intervention, and prevention efforts are based on the best possible scientific evidence, specific to military personnel. Further, the Consortium contributes to the goal of the research program by expanding our knowledge, understanding, and capacity to prevent, treat, and enhance the quality of life of persons in military communities and the general public who are affected by suicide-related problems.