Type
Summary
Suicides have markedly increased among military personnel in recent years. We used path analysis to examine factors associated with suicidal/self-harming ideation among male Navy and Marine Corps personnel transitioning to civilian life. Roughly 7% of men (Sailors = 5.3%, Marines = 9.0%) reported ideation during the previous 30 days. Results suggest that combat exposure, substance abuse, and resilience are associated with suicidal ideation/self-harming thoughts through the mediation of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and/or depression symptoms. Substance abuse plays a moderating role. Resilience had a direct effect only among the Marines. Implications for improving the transition to civilian life are discussed.
Citation
Mansfield, A. J., Bender, R. H., Hourani, L. L., & Larson, G. E. (2011). Suicidal or self-harming ideation in military personnel transitioning to civilian life. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 41(4), 392–405. doi:10.1111/j.1943-278x.2011.00039.x