Past Childhood Abuse and Present Alcohol Use as Risk Factors for Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempt in United States Military Active Duty Personnel, 2008

Background: Identifying risk factors for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (SRTB) is essential among adolescents in whom SRTB remain a leading cause of death. Although many risk factors have already been identified, influential theories now suggest that the domain of interpersonal relationships may play a critical role in the emergence of SRTB. Because attachment has long been seen as the foundation of interpersonal functioning, we suggest that attachment insecurity warrants attention as a risk factor for SRTB. Aims: This study sought to explore relations between attachment organization and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm in an inpatient adolescent sample, controlling for demographic and psychopathological covariates. Method: We recruited 194 adolescents from an inpatient unit and assigned them to one of four attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, dismissing, or disorganized attachment). Interview and self-report measures were used to create four variables reflecting the presence or absence of suicidal ideation in the last year, single lifetime suicide attempt, multiple lifetime suicide attempts, and lifetime self-harm. Results: Chi-square and regression analyses did not reveal significant relations between attachment organization and SRTB, although findings did confirm previously established relations between psychopathology and SRTB, such that internalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt and externalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm. Conclusion: The severity of this sample and methodological differences from previous studies may explain the nonsignificant findings. Nonsignificant findings may indicate that the relation between attachment organization and SRTB is moderated by other factors that should be explored in future research.

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Suicide Attempts Among Depressed Inpatients with Depressive Disorder in a Malaysian Sample

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000088 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 283-287 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

L. F. Chan ◽

T. Maniam ◽

A. S. Shamsul

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Suicide Attempt ◽

Depressive Disorder ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Psychosocial Risk Factors ◽

Psychosocial Risk ◽

Life Event ◽

Axis I ◽

A Current

Background: Depressed inpatients constitute a high-risk population for suicide attempts. Aims: To describe the interactions of clinical and psychosocial risk factors influencing suicide attempts among a Malaysian sample of depressed inpatients. Methods: Seventy-five subjects were diagnosed with a depressive disorder according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders-Clinical Version (SCID-CV). Data on suicide attempts, suicidal ideation (Scale for Suicidal Ideation, SSI), depression severity (Beck’s Depression Inventory, BDI), recent life-event changes (Social Readjustment Rating Scale, SRRS), sociodemographic and other relevant clinical factors were collected. Results: A third of the subjects presented after a current suicide attempt. Significant factors for a current suicide attempt were race, religion, recent life-event changes, suicidal ideation, and alcohol use disorder. Independent predictive risk factors for a current suicide attempt were Chinese race, recent marital separation, major mortgage or loans, and being newly diagnosed with depression. Any recent change in personal habits was shown to be a protective factor against current suicide attempt. Age and gender were nonsignificant factors. Conclusions: The findings are generally consistent with existing studies and highlight the role of psychosocial risk factors.

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Health and Service-related Impact of Sexual and Stalking Victimization During United States Military Service on LGBT Service Members

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260520970312 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 088626052097031

Author(s):

Cary Leonard Klemmer ◽

Ashley C. Schuyler ◽

Mary Rose Mamey ◽

Sheree M. Schrager ◽

Carl Andrew Castro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Military Service ◽

The United States ◽

Active Duty ◽

Service Members ◽

United States Military ◽

Service Outcomes ◽

Study Participants ◽

The Military ◽

Stalking Victimization

Prior research among military personnel has indicated that sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault during military service are related to negative health sequelae. However, research specific to LGBT U.S. service members is limited. The current study aimed to explore the health, service utilization, and service-related impact of stalking and sexual victimization experiences in a sample of active-duty LGBT U.S. service members ( N = 248). Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit study participants. U.S. service members were eligible to participate if they were 18 years or older and active-duty members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, or U.S. Air Force. This study included a sizeable portion of transgender service members ( N = 58, 23.4%). Sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of military service, health, and sexual and stalking victimization in the military were assessed. Regression was used to examine relationships between health and service outcomes and sexual and stalking victimization during military service. Final adjusted models showed that experiencing multiple forms of victimization in the military increased the odds of visiting a mental health clinician and having elevated somatic symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology, anxiety, and suicidality. Sexual and stalking victimization during U.S. military service was statistically significantly related to the mental and physical health of LGBT U.S. service members. Interventions to reduce victimization experiences and support LGBT U.S. service members who experience these types of violence are indicated. Research that examines the role of LGBT individuals’ experiences and organizational and peer factors, including social support, leadership characteristics, and institutional policies in the United States military is needed.

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Incidence of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea in active duty United States military service members

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab024 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Brian A Moore ◽

Lynn M Tison ◽

Javier G Palacios ◽

Alan L Peterson ◽

Vincent Mysliwiec

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽

Military Service ◽

Active Duty ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Service Members ◽

United States Military ◽

Obstructive Sleep ◽

Military Service Members ◽

The U.S

Abstract Study Objectives Epidemiologic studies of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and insomnia in the U.S. military are limited. The primary aim of this study was to report and compare OSA and insomnia diagnoses in active duty the United States military service members. Method Data and service branch densities used to derive the expected rates of diagnoses on insomnia and OSA were drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database. Single sample chi-square goodness of fit tests and independent samples t-tests were conducted to address the aims of the study. Results Between 2005 and 2019, incidence rates of OSA and insomnia increased from 11 to 333 and 6 to 272 (per 10,000), respectively. Service members in the Air Force, Navy, and Marines were diagnosed with insomnia and OSA below expected rates, while those in the Army had higher than expected rates (p < .001). Female service members were underdiagnosed in both disorders (p < .001). Comparison of diagnoses following the transition from ICD 9 to 10 codes revealed significant differences in the amounts of OSA diagnoses only (p < .05). Conclusion Since 2005, incidence rates of OSA and insomnia have markedly increased across all branches of the U.S. military. Despite similar requirements for overall physical and mental health and resilience, service members in the Army had higher rates of insomnia and OSA. This unexpected finding may relate to inherent differences in the branches of the military or the role of the Army in combat operations. Future studies utilizing military-specific data and directed interventions are required to reverse this negative trend.

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A Critical Review of Barriers to United States Military Spouse Education and Employment

Research Anthology on Military and Defense Applications, Utilization, Education, and Ethics ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-9029-4.ch008 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 125-147

Author(s):

Crystal Lewis

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

The United States ◽

Active Duty ◽

Military Spouses ◽

United States Military ◽

Military Spouse ◽

Family Obligations ◽

Education And Employment ◽

The Military ◽

Educational Pursuits

In the United States, there are over one million military spouses. Frequent geographical relocations, the psychological stress and anxiety associated with spousal deployments, and supporting their children as the only parent while their active duty spouse is away leave military spouses disproportionately accountable for all family obligations. Ultimately, these inequities create barriers for military spouses and their employment and educational pursuits. Despite similarities in lifestyle to active duty service members, military spouses are not categorized as an at-risk population and have not been studied in depth. This chapter utilized the source, survey, synthesize method to address the literature gap surrounding the barriers to military spouse education and employment. Findings from the existing literature were synthesized to present the key themes for studies that investigated the military culture, barriers to military spouses' pursuits of higher education, employment, and career advancement and earnings.

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