WASHINGTON (AP) — Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate, senior defense officials said. The increase is a bit of a setback after the deaths dipped slightly the previous year.

Suicide rates in the military increased in 2023, a slight uptick from 2022 that adds to a larger, troubling rise over the past decade. The annual report shows 523 service members died by suicide in 2023,

Military suicides increased again in 2023, continuing a steady and concerning rise in self-inflicted deaths among servicemembers over more than a decade, according to statistics released by the Defense Department on Thursday.

Defense Department Suicide Prevention Office staff said the DoD is making unprecedented investments in suicide prevention in an effort to reduce the deaths.

The suicide rate among active-duty and reserve troops increased in 2023 after the military saw an overall decrease the previous year, according to an annual report released Thursday by the Pentagon. The Pentagon reported an active-duty suicide rate of about 28 suicide deaths for every 100,

Suicides in the U.S. military increased in 2023, continuing a long-term trend that the Pentagon has struggled to abate, according to a Defense Department report released on Thursday.