Military Suicides Threatening Not Just Deployed

The number of suicides in the military is continuing to rise -- and not just for deployed soldiers. 

A study found that between 2004 and 2009 the suicide rates for those who served in Afghanistan and Iraq more than doubled. At the same time, the rate for those who never deployed nearly tripled.

The study, published in the Journal of American Medical Association Psychiatry doesn't give a cause for the rise in suicides but it found nearly one in five soldiers suffered from a common mental illness, like depression, before entering the service.

"The existence of a time trend in suicide risk among never-deployed soldiers argues indirectly against the view that exposure to combat-related trauma is the exclusive cause of the increase in Army suicides," the study reported.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said too many veterans are getting care only for physical wounds are not seeking treatment for mental health issues.

Suicide rates among veterans are higher than non-veterans for both men and women.