Strengthening the Contributions of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office to DOD's Suicide Prevention Efforts

The Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) tasked the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) to conduct a wide-ranging, independent review of its activities and organization. Specifically, DSPO asked IDA to: review its strategic plans; assess its organizational structure and effectiveness; examine d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2016
Main Authors: Clark-Sestak, Susan L, Graham, David R, Bishop, James M, Butterworth, Sarah E, Earle, Caroline R, Saizan, Alexandra M
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Institute for Defense Analyses
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The Defense Suicide Prevention Office (DSPO) tasked the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) to conduct a wide-ranging, independent review of its activities and organization. Specifically, DSPO asked IDA to: review its strategic plans; assess its organizational structure and effectiveness; examine data and analyses capabilities and challenges; review program evaluation approaches; and provide recommended improvements. The focus on suicide prevention within the Department of Defense (DOD) has grown over the last decade. Since 2008, the suicide rate of the active duty military population has consistently exceeded that of a comparable civilian population, adjusted for age and sex. While each Service has long had its own suicide prevention program, the 2010 Report of a DOD Task Force recommended the creation of a policy office within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to unify suicide prevention efforts across the DOD. DSPO was established in 2011 in response to that recommendation.