September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time to confront the many factors that contribute to suicide risk. Among these, one of the most overlooked and deadly is the intersection of eating disorders and suicide in military populations.

When we envision military service, we often think of strength, resilience, and unwavering discipline. Yet beneath this image, a silent crisis unfolds. Eating disorders and suicide risk intersect in ways rarely addressed, leaving service members and veterans suffering in silence.

Eating disorders are not phases, diets, or personal choices; they are complex psychiatric illnesses with one of the highest mortality rates of any mental disorder. For example, Anorexia Nervosa carries one of the highest death rates among mental illnesses, with suicide as a leading cause of death.1 Across diagnoses, including Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED), suicide risk remains significantly elevated compared to the general population.2 In the United States, approximately 10,200 deaths annually, or one every 52 minutes, are linked to eating disorders.3

The prevalence in military and veteran populations is particularly striking: One study found that 32.8% of female veterans and 18.8% of male veterans show signs of probable eating disorders.4 Around 26% of individuals with eating disorders have attempted suicide, underscoring the severe emotional and psychological toll of these illnesses.5 Despite these alarming statistics, eating disorders are often underdiagnosed and undertreated, making awareness, early recognition, and intervention critical, especially in populations where stigma and systemic pressures may hide the warning........

© Psychology Today