Wife of military leader says military spouses at risk for suicide, need help

Wife says military spouses also face suicide risk

WASHINGTON — The wife of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says she’s concerned about suicide among spouses of service members.

Deborah Mullen says she’s been told that there have been so many suicide attempts by Army spouses that it’s impossible to track.

Mrs. Mullen spoke standing next to her husband Mike at a suicide prevention conference Wednesday. She says the military needs to get a better handle on the problem. She says she’s concerned about military kids in crisis in such situations if a service member is deployed.

The military has seen an increase in suicide rates among all services since the start of the recent wars.

Mrs. Mullen says suicide prevention training with spouses in mind is needed.