NYC Gazette

A report from the Pentagon has highlighted a concerning trend: suicide is the leading cause of death among Army soldiers, who are nearly nine times more likely to die by suicide than in combat. Jayna Moceri-Brooks, an assistant professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, is addressing this issue by focusing on traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) as a root cause.

Moceri-Brooks emphasizes that "suicide in the military continues to be a public health crisis," with rates higher than in the general population. Her research indicates that TBIs, particularly those related to deployment, significantly increase the risk of suicide among service members. She notes that "those with combat-related TBIs are four times more likely to attempt suicide" compared to their peers without such injuries.

The culture within the armed forces, which values loyalty and selflessness, can also impact mental health. Moceri-Brooks explains that these values can become barriers to seeking care: "We have to figure out how to honor them but also have space to make sure that those same values don't become barriers."

Her work includes advocating for changes in recognition programs like the Purple Heart. Many veterans with TBIs were denied this medal due to lack of documentation during service. Her study shows that not receiving a Purple Heart correlates with higher suicide risk because it fails to acknowledge their injuries.

Moceri-Brooks has contributed to drafting bipartisan legislation—the Blast Overpressure Safety Act—aimed at better addressing TBI among service members. The bill proposes neurocognitive assessments throughout a service member's career and mandates reviews for those affected by TBI symptoms or who have died by suicide.

She encourages veterans exposed to blasts in training or combat to seek evaluation for TBIs and highlights resources like the 988 crisis line and Military OneSource for mental health support. Additionally, she stresses the importance of securing firearms as part of preventive measures against impulsive actions linked to brain injuries.

In her role as both an Army spouse and nurse, Moceri-Brooks sees an opportunity for nurses to lead initiatives on firearm safety and other public health crises within the military community.