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Subscribe to RSSThe military is seeing unprecedented mental illness and suicide in its ranks, and is funding research to treat depression and prevent the most tragic of outcomes.
In July, a report released by the military found that mental health disorders in active-duty troops increased 65 percent since 2000. Of the more than 900,000 diagnoses, about 85 percent included cases of adjustment disorders, depression, alcohol abuse and anxiety. This month, the Army reported 38 suspected suicides among active-duty and reserve soldiers in July, the highest monthly number of suicides since record-keeping began a few years ago.
Col. Carl Castro, director of the Military Operational Medicine Research Program, told NBC News that the military is "leaving no stone unturned" in its hunt to find evidence-based treatments for depression and suicide. Included in its multimillion dollar research portfolio is a grant to evaluate whether a nasal spray using a fast-acting hormone could alleviate symptoms of both depression and suicidal behavior.
Related: Mental health disorders among troops increased 65 percent since 2000
The $2.9 million grant will support a three-year development and testing period that will ideally culminate in seeking Food and Drug Administration approval for the medication and delivery device. The grant was awarded in April to Dr. Michael Kubek, a professor of neurobiology at Indiana University.
Kubek will research the use of Thyrotropin-Releasing hormone (TRH), which is known to act rapidly in relieving depression and suicidal behavior. However, its effects are short-term and the hormone has difficulty crossing the blood-brain barrier. Kubek is aiming to load up nanoparticles with TRH and then deliver them via the nasal spray, which could lengthen the drug's effectiveness and overcome the challenges of getting past the blood-brain barrier.
The military is hopeful that the spray will provide a treatment for the period between when a patient is first diagnosed for depression or suicidal thoughts and when typical anti-depressants become fully effective, which can take three to six weeks.
The clinical trial will compare a few hundred patients split into two groups: one receiving the nasal spray and another getting a similar drug used to treat suicidal behavior and depression. The idea, Castro said, is to determine not only if the spray works, but if it is more effective than current drug therapies. The study will look at whether or not the drug decreases depression and suicidal thoughts.
Should the drug prove effective, Castro said a realistic timeline for putting it in a soldier's hands would be five to eight years to account for possible setbacks and additional studies.
The research is part of a $100 million effort to study psychological and mental illness in the Army. Half of that funding is for Army STARRS (Study To Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers), an initiative done in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health to gather details about the lives and mental health of 55,000 soldiers. The Army hopes that the epidemiological study may eventually identify groups of soldiers whose mental health is most fragile based on an algorithm or formula of factors.
Related: Army program aims to predict soldiers' resiliency
The Army has allocated $18 million for 12 studies looking at treatment for depression and suicidal thoughts. The nasal spray study is the only one in the Army's portfolio to test a drug.
Despite the fact that suicide ranks in the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S. — 36,909 people died by suicide in 2009 according to the latest available figures — clinicians still don't have a set of evidence-based standards for how to effectively treat suicidal patients. Instead, they rely often on a combination of medication and therapy that has shown promise, but has varying degrees of success.
The urgency to find a treatment has become critically important to the military as it searches for answers to its own suicide epidemic.
"We have no real explanation for why they're happening," Castro said of military suicides. The goal, he said, is to base treatment on science as opposed to "medical hunches."
The time it takes to design and execute a study can be frustrating to those waiting for an effective treatment, but Castro said, "at least at the end of the day, we'll know if something does work."
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at NBC News and a 2011-2012 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellow. Follow her on Twitter here.
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July 28, 2012 my oldest son SPC Gilbert took his own life,
so while I see this article as progress it also pissed me off!! At 19 my son was deployed to Iraq, at that
point he has never been out of the US.
He had also never seen anyone he was close to physically hurt, broken,
bleeding or killed. All of that came to
a harsh end Sept 2008. When he returned
from his deployment I saw a change in my son of course, but I never ever knew
just how badly his head, his mental state had changed, had become so screwed up. He and I were very close but I never saw or
heard anything from him to indicate how screwed up he had become. Hell, not even the CO’s that were “trained”
to notice sighs of their guys being suicidal noticed any changes in my
son. My son had just gotten married, he
was married for 21 days at the time of his death. I was at his wedding, that was the happiest
I’d ever seen him. Yet, when his unit
was due to deploy to Afghanistan 2 weeks later, he snapped. He didn’t want to go over there because it
was going to be a blood bath. I never
understood or knew how much pain my son was in because our men and women, who I
might add VOLUNTEER for our Military for our FREEDOMS, are conditioned and told
NOT TO SAY ANYTHNG if they are having troubles.
If they feel they need “help” of any kind they fear it will go on their
permanent record or they may be passed over for a promotion or be demoted. I read an article about an Army Ranger who
got the help for himself, when he returned to his Unit they called him a liar
and a coward. 2 weeks later he hanged
himself on base. So, while the Military
likes the fast acting antidepressant nasal spray, how about also looking into
changing some policies so our guys won’t have to worry about their Military
record. It was put to me like this from
a Vietnam Veteran: Military personnel
are like pieces of equipment. If a tank,
Stryker, rifle or helicopter breaks down it’s pulled out of the rotation and
fixed. Why is it that if one of our guys
is hurt, has PTSD or suddenly has irrational thoughts is only given a
“bandaid”, told NOT to say anything or it goes on your record or just suck it
up and get back out there.
My condolences on your loss. Your son is in a better place now. I hope you and your remaining family can find peace.
Drugs, drugs, and more drugs. Well, as long as they are synthetic, big-pharma generated, and the dangerous side effects can be safely fine-printed on the paper insert.....
Best anti-suicide treatment for the troops is to BRING THEM HOME!!!
Another drug to possibly abuse and possibly be nose candy for addicts?
The military needs to start talking to their soldiers about self-sustainment, not giving them another drug to lean on.
During WW2 it was determined that a soldier could only handle 6 weeks of combat before going completely nuts. Back then they called it "Battle Fatigue". My prayers are with all those that serve.
The best solution to this problem is to get out of the middle east. Not nasal spray.
well what do you know...a proven method that actually works and doesn't involve drugs....to bad the military changed it's policy and some of the dogs that saved lives will be taken away....and other people will not even be able to get them. WAY TO GO MILITARY!!
well so i guess i can't post a link....
Psychological service dogs like Benny are trained to respond to their owner's fear or panic, by barking or nuzzling their owners.
Support groups and volunteer trainers like Debbie Kandoll provide the dogs to soldiers for free. We found more than 120 soldiers have them.
"And the reality of my anecdotal experience has been that within two weeks of placing a soldier with a service dog, they no longer are considering suicide as an option," she said.
A soldier could get a dog if his doctor recommended it. But in January, the Army issued a new policy that also requires a panel review -- commander approval -- and only approves dogs from providers accredited by Assistance Dogs International, a group that sets training standards.
"We all want what's best for soldiers, and if that's a dog, that's great," said Col. Ted Cieslak, the Army doctor who wrote the new policy. He explains the Army had no formal policy and wanted to set minimum requirements.
"I don't see this as a huge obstruction to soldiers getting the animals they need," he said.
But since the new policy took effect in January, dog providers at four bases say they have not been able get a dogs to soldiers who requested them. Other soldiers could lose their dogs.
As sick desert storm veteran I think any testing should be done first on government FDA and scientists first. If you find that outlandish keep in mind there was many many vets that got sick before deploying to Iraq they are cheated now days by the government of disablity benefits and the anthrax vaccine is labeled safe and effective now by the FDA. IF members of Congress, President, Joint Chiefs of Staff and the FDA wont take it what give them the un constitituional right to force something on military memebers? Oh I forgot freedom and Constitution only apply to the rich and powerful. I believe any testing should be carried out on Congress and the President first. If they damn well wont try it then don't force it on military personnel . I can assure the VA will be more than happy to cheat any veteran that is harmed by this "nasal mist". I have experienced it first hand as desert storm veteran who vulnerablity to vaccines and chemcial weapons gentically I have proven that part my case but I am being told I will lose my case because the way the law is written for Desert storm veterans. So dont trust the government to keep their end of any bargain when it comes to the military I am living proof what happens when they mess up and cannot admit the truth to the people.
A pill for this .....a cream for that.......there is never going to be pill or a cure for TRAUMA during WAR. You can try to cure it, but it is what it is. If you experience Trauma to the knee....to the back...the foot....etc.......more than likely , it is never going to Function exactly THE SAME again...bend THE SAME....or step THE SAME ever again. The same can especially be said for the BRAIN when it comes to POST TRAUMATIC STRESS SYNDROME (PTSD).
All you can do is treat it, but at the end of the day, if you experienced trauma, you wind up just having to deal with it. Another example of a soldiers' ultimate SACRIFICE.
Unfortunately, a nasal spray does not sound very promising. Let's hope it does.
So what happens if they blow their nose? Will they commit suicide?