A working group is looking at ways to reduce suicides throughout the department and it's drawing from the Air Force's success. One of the issues the working group is studying is record keeping. Traditionally, we keep data on those who commit suicide but not those who attempt suicide. But even in the Army, which took the lead in psychological autopsies, they were only being completed in about 50 percent of the cases. Among other things, a psychological autopsy seeks to determine individuals' state of mind before they died.
Efforts are also under way to improve confidentiality of mental health records.
Ritchie said the Navy and Air Force post mental health entries into members' main medical records, while the Army maintains them in separate records. Either way, commanders technically can request access to the records, and this makes many service members apprehensive about seeking treatment, she said. In reality, service members might not need to worry about this too much. DoD is also trying to keep pace with changes in civilian medical policies. In October 1999, President Clinton signed an executive regulation limiting release of medical records.