China News Service, September 28. According to a report by Qiaobao.com, compared with the same period in 2019, the suicide rate among U.S. military personnel will increase by 20% in 2020.

Facing the pressure of the new crown epidemic, the deployment of troops, the response to natural disasters and social unrest, violence in the military has also increased.

　　According to reports, although the data is not complete and the reasons for suicide are complex, U.S. Army and Air Force officials say they believe the epidemic has added more pressure to an already tense situation.

Data map: On August 3, local time, the Cashman Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, established a new coronavirus testing center, and preparations are in progress.

Nevada National Guard members are posting social distancing stickers.

　　Senior Army leaders said that so far in 2020, the suicide rate among U.S. Army soldiers has risen by 30%.

They also stated that they are considering shortening the deployment time of troops to protect the well-being of soldiers and their families.

　　The Pentagon declined to provide 2020 data or discuss this issue, but Army officials said that discussions in the Department of Defense briefing showed that the overall suicide rate of the U.S. military in 2020 has risen by 20%.

The data of each service is different.

The number of suicides in the active army increased by 30%, from 88 in 2019 to 114.

As the largest number of military services, this data has also led to an increase in overall data.

　　In response to the increase in Army suicides, murders and other violent acts, US Secretary of the Army McCarthy said: "We cannot say with certainty that this is because of the new crown virus, but it is true that the number has risen significantly after the outbreak of the new crown."

　　Preliminary data for the first three months of 2020 show that compared with the same period in 2019, the overall suicide rate of active and reserve soldiers has decreased.

But in spring, the data began to rise.

　　Air Force Commander Brown said: "The new crown epidemic has increased the pressure. From the perspective of suicide, we are on the same bad road as last year. This is not just a problem for the Air Force, it is a national problem because of the unknown. The fear of the epidemic has added extra pressure to some people."

　　As of September 15, 98 active and reserve air forces in the United States had committed suicide, the same as in 2019.

But 2019 was the highest suicide rate in the active Air Force in 30 years.

Officials had hoped that the downward trend early this year would continue.

　　The director of the U.S. Army's recovery program, Hollis, said that the loneliness, economic difficulties, distance education, and lack of child care brought about by the epidemic were almost overnight, which increased the pressure on the military and family.

　　The US Army leader also said that the army has been under great pressure for the past 20 years.

Deployment measures, coupled with the impact of the epidemic, hurricanes, wildfires, and social unrest, have made the pressure on the military even worse.

　　Army Chief of Staff McConville and another Army official Greenston said that the focus of commanders now is on bringing people together, ensuring that they are in contact with each other and their families, and that they can better get along.

　　Loneliness also hurts veterans, especially injured veterans.

　　Brooks, a senior mental health expert for the Wounded Soldier Project, said suicide and anxiety symptoms among veterans are increasing.

From April to the end of August, compared with the previous 5 months, the number of referrals to mental health increased by 48%, and the number of mental health calls and online mutual aid groups also increased by 10%.

　　Heris said the epidemic has forced the Army to increase the number of health hotlines and online mental health consultations.

These measures have achieved some positive results.