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PREVALENCE AND CORRELATES OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR AMONG NEW SOLDIERS IN THE U.S. ARMY: RESULTS FROM THE ARMY STUDY TO ASSESS RISK AND RESILIENCE IN SERVICEMEMBERS (ARMY STARRS)
Author(s) -
Ursano Robert J.,
Heeringa Steven G.,
Stein Murray B.,
Jain Sonia,
Raman Rema,
Sun Xiaoying,
Chiu Wai Tat,
Colpe Lisa J.,
Fullerton Carol S.,
Gilman Stephen E.,
Hwang Irving,
Naifeh James A.,
Nock Matthew K.,
Rosellini Anthony J.,
Sampson Nancy A.,
Schoenbaum Michael,
Zaslavsky Alan M.,
Kessler Ronald C.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
depression and anxiety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.634
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6394
pISSN - 1091-4269
DOI - 10.1002/da.22317
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , suicide prevention , military personnel , injury prevention , poison control , suicide attempt , ethnic group , psychology , psychiatry , occupational safety and health , demography , medicine , odds , human factors and ergonomics , clinical psychology , logistic regression , medical emergency , pathology , sociology , political science , anthropology , law
Background The prevalence of suicide among U.S. Army soldiers has risen dramatically in recent years. Prior studies suggest that most soldiers with suicidal behaviors (i.e., ideation, plans, and attempts) had first onsets prior to enlistment. However, those data are based on retrospective self‐reports of soldiers later in their Army careers. Unbiased examination of this issue requires investigation of suicidality among new soldiers. Method The New Soldier Study (NSS) of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) used fully structured self‐administered measures to estimate preenlistment histories of suicide ideation, plans, and attempts among new soldiers reporting for Basic Combat Training in 2011–2012. Survival models examined sociodemographic correlates of each suicidal outcome. Results Lifetime prevalence estimates of preenlistment suicide ideation, plans, and attempts were 14.1, 2.3, and 1.9%, respectively. Most reported onsets of suicide plans and attempts (73.3–81.5%) occurred within the first year after onset of ideation. Odds of these lifetime suicidal behaviors among new soldiers were positively, but weakly associated with being female, unmarried, religion other than Protestant or Catholic, and a race/ethnicity other than non‐Hispanic White, non‐Hispanic Black, or Hispanic. Conclusions Lifetime prevalence estimates of suicidal behaviors among new soldiers are consistent with retrospective reports of preenlistment prevalence obtained from soldiers later in their Army careers. Given that prior suicidal behaviors are among the strongest predictors of later suicides, consideration should be given to developing methods of obtaining valid reports of preenlistment suicidality from new soldiers to facilitate targeting of preventive interventions.