A military suicide prevention program in the Israeli Defense Force: a review of an important military medical procedure

Leah Shelef, Lucian Laur, Gil Raviv, Eyal Fruchter

The phenomenon of suicide during military service is not unique to the Israeli military and other armies. Soldiers' age--adolescence--is a known factor contributing to suicide, in light of psychological processes of identity formation and self-definition, the stresses of military service, and above all, the availability of weapons. The stigma of seeking help deters some soldiers from getting the assistance they need when they need it most, thus contributing to the higher suicide rate. In the previous decade the IDF initiated intensive and structured preventive procedures aimed at reducing suicide rate among soldiers. The IDF's Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) was grounded in professional knowledge and backed by military policy changes, both critical to the implementation and change processes. The SPP includes thorough psycho-education and guidance, supervision, greater accessibility of mental health officers, and lower accessibility of nonessential weapons. The SPP has succeeded in reducing the suicide rate by almost 50 %. The aim of this article is to review the background of the design of the IDF's SPP and its major components, leading to the current success.