Defence chief’s suicide remarks get mixed reaction from experts
OTTAWA — Canada’s defence chief says the public attention and outrage that has erupted over military suicides may be contributing to the problem by having “brought a slight honour to the act of suicide.”
The Canadian Forces has been rocked by nine suicides since November, which some veterans advocates and opposition critics have held up as proof soldiers aren’t receiving needed support and assistance.
In a discussion at the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, Ont., on Thursday night, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson described the suicides as “very troubling.”
But while Lawson said removing the stigma around mental health problems and injuries is essential, “actually stigmatizing the act of suicide is probably a very good thing in our society.”
“And our experts are very concerned about the fact that in a way, as Canadians and as leaders, we’ve put our arms around those who are suffering from mental health, ( but) that we may have brought a slight honour to the act of suicide.
“So we’re very concerned about, as we rally around our troops, what we may be doing to this impression of suicide.”
The comment has prompted mixed reaction from mental health experts and those who work with Canadian military personnel suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder and other mental injuries.
Ian Colman, Canada research chair in mental health epidemiology at University of Ottawa, said there is a need to be careful when talking about suicide.
“There is compelling evidence that suicide contagion exists,” he said. “That is, one person’s suicide, or the reaction to that person’s suicide, may lead to an increased likelihood that somebody else will consider suicide themselves.”
That is why media outlets generally do not report suicides.
Tim Laidler, executive director of the Veterans Transition Network, which helps Canadian Forces personnel transition into civilian life, said there is a legitimate need to discuss why military members are killing themselves and what more can be done to help.
There is also a need for better information, he said, as the government has no handle on how many veterans or reservists have committed suicide.