Publication year
2018
Citation Title
Sexual dysfunction is associated with suicidal ideation in female service members and veterans.
Journal Name
Journal of Affective Disorders
Journal Volume
226
Page Numbers
52-57
DOI
10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.079
Summary
It is important to examine the factors that are associated with Service members and Veterans' suicide; sexual dysfunction may be one of those factors. To examine these factors, 710 female Service members and Veterans completed an anonymous online survey regarding their suicidal ideation, sexual functioning, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms. Results indicated that sexual dysfunction was associated with suicidal ideation among female Service members and Veterans.
Key Findings
About one fifth (22%) of participants reported suicidal ideation during the past two weeks.
Suicidal ideation was associated with sexual dysfunction and PTSD and depression symptoms.
Among the components of sexual dysfunction, difficulties with arousal and low sexual satisfaction were most related with suicidal ideation.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer support groups for female Service members who experienced sexual trauma
Develop workshops for military couples to promote their relationship satisfaction
Educate female Service members regarding the link between sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the education of professionals working with female Service members regarding the association between sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation
Recommend regular screening of suicidal ideation among female Service members who were victims of sexual trauma
Promote the development of programs that can promote sexual functioning in female Service members
Methods
Participants were recruited by social media advertisements; they had to be in a romantic relationship to qualify for the study.
Each participant completed an anonymous online survey regarding their suicidal ideation, sexual functioning, PTSD symptoms, and depression symptoms.
Data were analyzed to examine the association between participants' sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation.
Participants
Participants were 710 female Service members or Veterans.
The average age of the participants was 32.28 years (SD = 7.35); most of them were White (78%), followed by Multiracial (10%), Latina (6%), Black (5%), and Native Americans (1%).
Most participants were in the Army (54%); the military branches of the rest of the participants were not reported.
Limitations
Only one question was used to examine participants' suicidal ideation, which may limit the reliability of the results.
The cross-sectional design of the study made it impossible to examine the causal relationship between sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation.
The study was based on self-report data; therefore, the findings may be subject to memory bias and social desirability bias.
Avenues for Future Research
Recruit both male and female Service members to examine the potential gender differences in the association between sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation
Collect both subjective and objective data to increase the reliability of the study
Conduct longitudinal studies to examine the causal relationship between sexual dysfunction and suicidal ideation
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
Suicide is a leading cause of premature death among military service members/veterans (SM/Vs). The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (Joiner, 2007) proposes that higher thwarted belonging, perceived burdensomeness, and acquired capability confer increased risk for suicide. However, no studies have examined the association of sexual dysfunction, a possible component of thwarted belonging and perceived burdensomeness, with suicidal ideation. The present study explored whether sexual dysfunction was associated with suicidal ideation when accounting for mental health, demographic, and military characteristics among female SM/Vs. Female SM/Vs (n = 710) completed an anonymous online survey assessing demographics, mental health, military characteristics, sexual dysfunction, and suicidal ideation. One hundred fifty-nine participants (22.39%) reported suicidal ideation during the preceding two weeks. A multivariable ordinal regression adjusted for age, marital status, probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), probable depression, race/ethnicity, Army service, and deployment history. Lower sexual functioning (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.98, 95% confidence interval[CI] = 0.95-0.99), probable PTSD (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.61-4.01), and probable depression (AOR = 5.28, 95% CI = 3.34-8.34) were associated with suicidal ideation. Post-hoc analyses examined the association of suicidal ideation with specific components of sexual functioning: difficulties with sexual arousal (AOR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.79-0.97) and sexual satisfaction (AOR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.75-0.96) were associated with suicidal ideation. Data were cross-sectional and limited to self-report. Sexual dysfunction is associated with suicidal ideation, accounting for established mental health, military, and demographic characteristics among female SM/Vs. Efforts to prevent suicidal ideation in female SM/Vs may be enhanced by screening for and treating sexual dysfunction, particularly sexual arousal and satisfaction.
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