Predictors of non-fatal suicide attempts among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who experienced military sexual trauma

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 […]

Sexual victimization and suicide ideation: An atemporal indirect effects model

Introduction: Suicide is a major public health concern among young adults. Moreover, college students are at elevated risk for sexual victimization, which is associated with elevated suicide risk. Nonetheless, not all college student survivors of sexual victimization think about suicide. Previous research has used the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) as a framework for understanding […]

Daily reciprocal relations between emotion dysregulation and non-suicidal self-injury among individuals with a history of sexual assault: The influence of posttraumatic stress symptoms

Introduction Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious public health concern that can be understood within an emotion dysregulation framework. The current study adds to the literature by utilizing a micro-longitudinal design and novel statistical modeling to test reciprocal associations between emotion dysregulation and NSSI, as well as the potential moderating effect of posttraumatic stress symptoms […]

A rapid review to determine the suicide risk and risk factors of men who are survivors of sexual assault

This rapid review assessed the suicide risk and risk factors of men who are survivors of sexual assault. We searched three academic databases (Cochrane, Medline and PsycINFO) for peer-reviewed articles in English published between 2010 and 2022. We rated the quality of the evidence based on the National Health and Medical Research Council Levels of […]

Investigating viewership of season 3 of “13 Reasons Why” and the mental wellness of adolescents: Partially randomized preference trial

Background: A conflicting body of research suggests that additional investigation is needed to understand how globally watched television shows featuring social and mental health issues, such as 13 Reasons Why, might affect adolescents’ mental wellness. Objective: This study aims to investigate adolescents’ viewership of the third season of the Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why (13RW-3) […]

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression severity in sexually assaulted women: Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis alterations

Background Sexual assault is implicated in several adverse psychological and physical health outcomes, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Neurobiological research has shown variations related to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, immune alterations, metabolic function, and brain circuitry. Although these mechanisms have been extensively studied, the results have demonstrated different outcomes in PTSD. Methods We […]

Managing post-sexual assault suicide risk

Suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior are common after experiencing a sexual assault. Therefore, it is imperative to assess for and manage suicidal ideation using evidence-based techniques after a sexual assault medical forensic examination (SAMFE). We assessed factors associated with higher suicidal ideation identified in a post-SAMFE mental health screening conducted over the phone and strategies […]

Suicide ideation in female survivors of military sexual trauma: The trauma source matters

The authors wish to thank the service women and veterans who participated in this study. The authors also wish to thank Dr. Jamison Fargo for statistical consultation, Dr. Ryan Holliday for consultation on this manuscript, and Jordan Kugler, Whitney Livingston, and Felicia Andresen for assistance with data coding. Funding for this study was provided to […]

Depression and PTSD-related anhedonia mediate the association of military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation in female service members/veterans

Previous research shows a direct link between military sexual trauma and suicide risk. Little is known about mediators of this association, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression severity, mental health conditions that are correlated with both suicide risk and military sexual trauma. Moreover, existing studies of military sexual trauma do not distinguish between harassment […]

An analysis of self-reported suicide attempts and ideation in a national sample of incarcerated individuals convicted of sexual crimes

Suicide is the leading cause of preventable death in US jails and prisons, with rates three to nine times higher than those of the general population. Although suicide in correctional settings has been recognised as a serious problem, the research on suicide among incarcerated individuals remains limited. Individuals who have committed sexual offenses may be […]

Identifying factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts following military sexual trauma

Background As increasing research demonstrates that military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with suicidal ideation and attempts, discerning factors that place MST survivors at risk for these outcomes is critical. The present study aimed to: (1) characterize suicidal ideation and attempts among MST survivors; (2) identify factors associated with post-MST suicide attempts, post-MST suicidal ideation, […]

Trauma-related shame, sexual assault severity, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness among female undergraduate survivors of sexual assault

Background and Aim: This study evaluated trauma-related shame as a mediator of the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Method: A total of 164 female undergraduates who reported attempted or completed sexual assault completed self-report measures of sexual assault, trauma-related shame, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Results: Using path analysis, […]

Do unit and post-deployment social support influence the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation?

Deployment sexual trauma is associated with post-deployment suicidal ideation. No studies have examined the role of social support in this association. The present study examined if perceived unit support and post-deployment support influenced the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation. 824 post-9/11 veterans (480 men, 344 women) from the Survey of Experiences of […]

An integrated public health approach to interpersonal violence and suicide prevention and response

Violence is a leading source of morbidity and mortality in the United States. In this article, we suggest a public health framework for preventing community violence, intimate partner violence and sexual violence, and suicide as key forms of interpersonal and self-directed violence. These types of violence often co-occur and share common risk and protective factors. […]

Elevated prevalence of suicide attempts among victims of police violence in the USA.

Recent evidence suggests that police victimization is widespread in the USA and psychologically impactful. We hypothesized that civilian-reported police victimization, particularly assaultive victimization (i.e., physical/sexual), would be associated with a greater prevalence of suicide attempts and suicidal ideation. Data were drawn from the Survey of Police-Public Encounters, a population-based survey of adults (N = 1615) residing in […]

Military sexual trauma and suicide mortality.

Introduction The Veterans Health Administration health system uses a clinical reminder in the medical record to screen for military sexual trauma. For more than 6 million Veterans, this study assessed associations between military sexual trauma screen results and subsequent suicide mortality. Methods For Veterans who received Veterans Health Administration services in fiscal years 2007–2011 and […]

Loneliness under assault: Understanding the impact of sexual assault on the relation between loneliness and suicidal risk in college students.

The present study sought to examine how loneliness and sexual assault are involved in predicting suicidal risk (viz., hopelessness & suicide probability) in a sample of 334 college students. Specifically, we were interested in examining whether sexual assault played an additive as well as interactive role in the prediction of suicidal risk above and beyond […]

Relation between traumatic events and suicide attempts in Canadian military personnel.

The current study is the first to demonstrate that sexual and other interpersonal traumatic events are associated with suicide attempts in a representative sample of active Canadian military men and women. Contact us for a copy of this article, or view online at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/070674370905400207

The relationship between dating violence and suicidal behaviors in a national sample of adolescents.

Relationship violence is a common problem faced by adolescents in the United States. In general, adolescents are at higher risk for relationship victimization than adults (Silverman, Raj, Mucci, & Hathaway, 2001), and females between the ages of 16 and 24 years are at the highest risk of relationship victimization (Rennison, 2001). This study uses data […]

The associations of physical and sexual assault with suicide risk in nonclinical military and undergraduate samples.

Journal held in CSP Library.

Social support, exposure to violence and transphobia, and correlates of depression among male-to-female transgender women with a history of sex work.

Objectives. We determined racial/ethnic differences in social support and exposure to violence and transphobia, and explored correlates of depression among male-to-female transgender women with a history of sex work (THSW). Methods. A total of 573 THSW who worked or resided in San Francisco or Oakland, California, were recruited through street outreach and referrals and completed […]

Traumatic events and suicidality in a German adolescent community sample

Exposure to traumatic events has been related to suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in adolescents. This study analyzes the association between suicidality and preceding traumatic life events in 665 German school students with an average age of 14.81 (SD = 0.66). Forty-three (6.5%) students reported suicide attempts and 239 (35.9%) reported suicidal ideation. Adolescents with […]

The Legacy of Lucretia: Rape-Suicides in art, 509 BC-2008 (IN: Suicide and the Creative Arts, edited by S Stack & D Lester)

While rape is a known risk factor for suicidality in both men & women, it has received relatively little attention in suicidology. There is also a relative lack of attention to the extent to which & how rape-suicide has been covered in various art forms. It is clear that one portrayal of rape-suicide, that of […]