A Lawrence counseling center is working with the Kansas National Guard to prevent suicides among military veterans.

Headquarters Counseling Center, 211 E. Eighth St., has information about resources available that are specific to veterans and their families when they call for help, director Marcia Epstein said. That information was developed in cooperation with the Guard.

“We definitely have had calls from people who are in the military with concerns about depression and suicide,” Epstein said.

A new Pentagon study found there were 99 Army suicides last year – nearly half of them soldiers who hadn’t reached their 25th birthdays, about a third of them serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The report also states that the Army last year recorded its highest rate of suicide in 26 years.

The report found that depression and hopelessness drove soldiers to commit suicide but said that post-traumatic stress disorder related to combat experiences wasn’t a major cause.

The mental health of soldiers and Marines has been a growing issue as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have required more troops to return to the combat zones multiple times.

Headquarters Counseling provides help to all people with concerns about a variety of mental health and substance abuse issues. It has trained volunteers who answer calls on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) and the National Hopeline Network (1-800-784-2433). Calls from people in Kansas go to Headquarters.

Hot-line callers remain anonymous, but often veterans will readily admit that they have problems stemming from their military service, Epstein said. Counselors presume that someone in the military has access to guns.

“That is something we talk about very directly and how to hopefully get them to be willing to have someone else store (the guns) for awhile,” she said.

Callers in military service also are concerned about the perception the service will have of them if it becomes known they have depression or suicidal thoughts, Epstein said. Information about how to deal with that issue is provided, she said.

Before Kansas Guardsmen are deployed, they are advised about issues and problems they and their families might face while away, said Sharon Watson, spokeswoman for the Adjutant General’s office.

When they return, they go through a “reintegration” process to help them go back to their family and work and deal with day-to-day matters, she said. Included is information about help for depression.