Suchergebnisse

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the empirical association between psychosocial protective factors and subsequent suicidal ideation in veterans. METHODS: We conducted a national longitudinal survey in which participants were randomly drawn from over one million U. S. military service members who served after September 11, 2001. Data were provided by a total of 1090 veterans representative of all 50 states and all military branches in two waves of data collection one year apart (79% retention rate). RESULTS: In chi-square analyses, psychosocial protective factors at wave 1 (employment, meeting basic needs, self-care, living stability, social support, spirituality, resilience, and self-determination) were significantly related to lower suicidal ideation at wave 2 (p<.01). In multivariable analyses controlling for covariates at wave 1 including suicidal ideation, the total number of protective factors endorsed at wave 1 significantly predicted reduced odds of suicidal ideation at wave 2. In multivariable analysis examining individual risk and protective factors, again controlling for covariates, results showed that money to cover basic needs and higher psychological resilience at wave 1 were associated with significantly lower odds of suicidal ideation at wave 2. LIMITATIONS: The study measured the link between psychosocial protective factors and suicidal ideation but not suicide attempts, which would be an important next step for this research. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that psychosocial rehabilitation and holistic approaches targeting these protective factors may offer a promising avenue in both veteran and non-veteran populations for treatment safety planning as well as suicide risk management and prevention.

Although a subset of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans show aggression toward others after they return home from military service, little is known about protective mechanisms that could be bolstered to prevent violence. A national longitudinal survey was conducted between 2009 and 2011 using a random sample of veterans who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom. One thousand ninety veterans, from 50 states representing all military branches, completed two waves of data collection, one-year apart (retention rate=79%). The final sample resembled the U.S. military post 9/11 in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, geography, and service branch. Protective mechanisms in socioeconomic (money to cover basic needs, stable employment), psychosocial (resilience, perceiving control over one's life, social support), and physical (healthy sleep, no physical pain) domains were examined. We found these protective mechanisms predicted decreased aggression and violence at follow-up, particularly with higher risk veterans. Multivariable analyses confirmed protective mechanisms lowered violence through their interaction with risk factors. This study identifies protective mechanisms related to decreased community violence in veterans and indicates that rehabilitation aimed at improving socioeconomic, psychosocial, and physical well-being has potential promise to reduce aggression and violence among veterans after returning home from military service.