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Military suicides have increased by as much as 20% this year compared to the same period in 2019, and some incidents of violent behavior have spiked as service members struggle under COVID-19, war-zone deployments, national disasters and civil unrest. While the data is incomplete and causes of suicide are complex, Army and Air Force officials say they believe the pandemic is adding stress to an already strained force. (Baldor and Burns, 9/27)

Suicides among military members have spiked by as much as 20 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period last year, data shows. Senior military officials say they believe that it’s difficult to pinpoint what’s driving the rise, though note that the timing coincides with the stateside outbreak of coronavirus. (Salo, 9/27)

Thousands of service members and their dependents are in need of mental health care and aren’t getting it, according to a report by the Department of Defense Inspector General. “The DoD did not consistently meet outpatient mental health access to care standards for active duty service members and their families, in accordance with law and applicable DoD policies,” according to the report, released publicly on August 14. More than half of the 8,000 service members and families surveyed for the report said they needed mental health care but were not receiving it. (Shull, 9/24)

State Rep. Matt Eidson, D-Grand Forks, has submitted a letter of resignation effective Sept. 30 to leave the Legislature, citing mental health issues — post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression — following eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps. In a video posted to social media Thursday evening, Eidson described mental health struggles after he left the Marine Corps in 2015. He had previously served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan and South Korea before he was discharged at the rank of sergeant. (Easter, 9/18)

Air Force Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared a glimpse into his personal struggles with mental health in a video Tuesday encouraging service members to seek help. “I sought help when I needed it. When I was commander of U.S. Strategic Command, I felt like I needed to get some help. I felt like I needed to talk to somebody. So, I got an appointment with a psychiatrist,” Hyten said in the video tweeted by the Joint Staff. (Venhuizen, 9/8)