Military service women committing suicide at 'staggering' rates

Suicide within the military has long been an area of concern, but a recent study shows the surprising impact on one segment in particular.

Female veterans are almost six times as likely to commit suicide as women in the general population.

This translates to 28.7 out of every 100,000 service women versus just 5.2 out of every 100,000 for all others.

And of this high-rate group, young female veterans between the ages of 18 to 29 were particularly affected, committing suicidealmost 12 times as often as their civilian counterparts.

The rates of military service women killing themselves had not been studied on a large scale until 2010, at least partly because the vast majority of service members are men.

Women have in recent times increasingly joined the armed forces, but why suicide rates among them is so high remains unknown. Some attribute it to sexual assaults and other traumas endured while in service.

However, other experts believe that the military may attract more women who already have histories of personal struggle or mental health issues.

Gender Breakdown of U.S Active Military Force FindTheBest