US Army suicides rose 80 percent between 2004 and 2008 The increase in suicides was paralleled by an increase in other mental health issues. Suicide rates were higher among soldiers diagnosed with a mental illness in the preceding year, the data showed. "This increase, unprecedented in over 30 years of US Army records, suggests that approximately 40% of suicides that occurred in 2008 may be associated with post-2003 events following the major commitment of troops to Iraq, in addition to the ongoing operations in Afghanistan."