Perspectives of Suicide Bereaved Individuals on Military Suicide Decedents' Life Stressors and Male Gender Role Stress

Although men are more likely to commit suicide, few studies have explored the association between male gender role stressors and suicide within the military. This study utilized the perspectives of bereaved family members' to identify male gender role stressors (e.g. conflicts between work and family commitments, emotional in-expressiveness) that were associated with the suicide of male Service members. Findings from the pilot study showed the male gender role stressors adequately predicted male gender role stress in male Service members who committed suicide. In addition, the study showed that legal or trauma stressors predicted higher levels of male gender role stress at least one month prior to suicide .