Nearly half of soldiers had some mental condition when they enlisted , author says . The study finds that about 14 % of soldiers had thought about ending their lives . `` We 've gone back to some new soldiers the very first day they 're in the Army , '' said Kessler , the McNeil Family professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School . Causes for the rise in military suicides are unknown . But the authors hope their data might be useful to help with outreach programs .
Nearly half of soldiers had some mental condition when they enlisted , author says . The study finds that about 14 % of soldiers had thought about ending their lives . Causes for the rise in military suicides are unknown . But the authors hope their data might be useful to help with outreach programs .