Resource Tag: MILITARY

Introduction In 2021, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust allocated over £2 million to programmes designed to have a clear and demonstrable impact on suicide prevention. Four grant holders delivered a combination of psychotherapeutic interventions, group activities, social prescribing, peer support mentoring, life skills coaching, educational courses and practical help with housing and employment. The evaluation […]

Objectives To examine rankings of credible sources for discussing secure storage within a representative sample of firearm-owning service members, and examine how combinations of demographic variables impact the ranking of credible sources. Methods The probability-based sample was collected with the help of Ipsos. Participants were US service members who owned a firearm at the time […]

Objective Military sexual trauma (MST) has been identified as a risk factor for suicidal behavior. To inform suicide prevention efforts within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), this study evaluates predictors of non-fatal suicide attempts (NFSAs) among VHA patients who experienced MST. Methods For VHA patients in fiscal year (FY) 2019 who previously screened positive for […]

Introduction The US Department of Defense recommends lethal means safety counseling (LMSC) to promote firearm injury prevention via secure storage of personal firearms. We describe the rollout of a universal, peer-delivered adaptation of Project Safe Guard (PSG)—a brief, single-session LMSC discussion—at a US Space Force installation. Method Program evaluation data were collected via anonymous, voluntary, […]

Introduction Suicide loss survivors can provide information not otherwise available about the circumstances preceding a suicide. In this study, we analyzed interview data from suicide loss survivors collected as part of a psychological autopsy study of U.S. Army soldiers. Methods Next-of-kin (NOK) (n = 61) and Army supervisors (SUP) (n = 107) of suicide decedents (n = 135) who had died […]

Objective: This commentary highlights challenges and opportunities in suicide prevention across the military and veteran populations of the Five Eyes nations. Methods: Trends in suicides and suicidality in military and veteran populations are outlined, as well as identified risk and protective factors, and approaches to suicide prevention. Results: Suicide risk is higher in veterans compared to current serving […]

Introduction VA S.A.V.E. (Signs; Ask; Validate; Encourage/Expedite) is a gatekeeper training developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that teaches individuals to identify and assist veterans at risk for suicide. Although VA S.A.V.E. has been widely disseminated, rigorous evaluation is lacking. Methods In a pilot randomized controlled trial of a brief, video-based version of […]

Introduction Rates of suicide in the Active Component of the military have significantly increased since 2010, with particularly high rates among Army service members. One element of the Army’s approach to suicide prevention relies on noncommissioned officers (NCOs) as gatekeepers who have regular contact with soldiers. NCOs receive suicide prevention training, but there is limited […]

Background Suicide is a pressing matter for the military. Not only does it pose a health risk, but suicide also compromises operational readiness. Despite provision of suicide prevention clinical best practices, the Department of Defense suffers several challenges (e.g., clinician shortages) limiting the agency’s ability to effectively respond to service member suicide. Implementation of evidence-based […]

Introduction: Suicide risk among Indigenous populations is a multifaceted phenomenon, influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors at the individual level, as well as cultural, political, and economic issues at the family and community level. The global prevalence of depression among medical students was recently estimated to be 28.0 % according to a meta-analysis of 77 […]

Introduction Most research on suicide attempts among U.S. service members has been focused on risk factors that occur during service. There is an important gap in our understanding of premilitary factors, such as personality characteristics, that may be associated with future suicide attempt risk during service. Of particular importance is identifying risk factors for the […]

Objective This preregistered randomized controlled trial tested the effects of a four-session, online interoceptive awareness intervention relative to an active comparator, matched for time and attention on interoception and suicidal ideation. Method Participants (N = 195; 69% male; mean age = 37) were active duty service members (62%) and veterans (38%) who completed measures of interoceptive sensibility, interoceptive accuracy, […]

Introduction: Knowing when suicidal ideation (SI) or suicide attempt (SA) is most likely to occur in a deployed environment would aid in focusing prevention efforts. This study aims to determine when evacuation for SA and SI is most likely to occur based on the absolute and relative number of months in a deployed setting. Materials and […]

THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH STARTS WITH DATA The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Annual Report on Suicide in the Military serves as the official source for annual suicide counts and rates for DoD. In addition, this report contains the calendar year (CY)  2022 Department of Defense Suicide Event Report (DoDSER) System Data Summary, which provides […]

This report  provides trends and insights into the well-being of the military-connected population, following the ten domain topics featured in our Measuring Communities data portal.

About This Guide (Brief Version) What will I learn from this guide? The brief version contains the essential information for Veterans to understand how to identify when a fellow Veteran may be at risk for suicide. You will learn the basics of how to talk with someone about making the environment safer to prevent suicide. […]

Suicide in the military represents a significant and multifaceted problem, with complex and interdependent factors contributing to its occurrence. Disentangling the intricate temporal associations between suicide and its numerous risk factors poses a significant challenge. Of the purported risk factors, traumatic brain injury (TBI) has received special focus, given its unfortunate status as the signature […]

After serving in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and civil war, Lieutenant Colonel Stéphane Grenier returned to Canada haunted by his experiences. Facing post-traumatic stress disorder and an archaic establishment, he spent ten years confronting-and changing-the military mental health system from within. Coining the term “Operational Stress Injury” to allow the military to see mental […]

Background: Military suicide rates have risen over the past two decades, with a notable spike in recent years. To address this issue, military mental health providers must be equipped with the skills required to provide timely and effective care; yet little is known about the suicide-specific training experiences or needs of these professionals. Methods: Thirty-five mental health […]

A clearer understanding of risk factors for suicidal behavior among soldiers is of principal importance to military suicide prevention. It is unclear whether soldiers who attempt suicide and those who die by suicide have different patterns of risk factors. As such, preventive efforts aimed toward reducing suicide attempts and suicides, respectively, may require different strategies. […]

Introduction: Research into the factors resulting in suicide in the military veteran population has yet to reach a consensus. Available research is concentrated on a small number of countries, and there is a lack of consistency with contradictory conclusions. The USA has produced a significant amount of research in a country where suicide is identified as […]

Objective: This study investigated associations between gambling problems and suicidality in Australian veterans. Methods: Data drawn from n = 3,511 Australian Defence Force veterans who had recently transitioned to civilian life. Gambling problems were assessed using the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and suicidal ideation and behaviour were assessed using items adapted from the National Survey of […]

Background: Although financial strain is an identified risk factor for suicide among US military personnel, research is limited regarding the specific dimensions of financial strain that confer the greatest risk. Aims: The present study examined the associations among multiple indicators of financial strain, suicide ideation, and suicide attempts in a sample of US National Guard personnel, a high-risk […]