Publication year
2012
Citation Title
Prevalence of childhood trauma among U.S. Army soldiers with suicidal behavior.
Journal Name
Military Medicine
Journal Volume
177
Issue Number
9
Page Numbers
1034-1040
DOI
10.7205/MILMED-D-12-00054
Summary
The administrative records of 995 Active Duty U.S. Army Soldiers who had attempted or completed suicide over a five year period were used to examine the prevalence of childhood trauma and mental health problems in this population. There was a high prevalence of childhood trauma in the attempters (61%) and the completers (43%). The most common type of childhood traumas were family problems and abuse.
Key Findings
Sixty-one percent of Soldiers who had engaged in suicidal behavior had a history of childhood trauma.
Seventeen percent of male Soldiers reported a history of sexual trauma compared to 51% of female Soldiers.
The most common childhood traumas experienced by completers and attempters were family problems and abuse.
Among suicide completers that experienced childhood trauma, there was a higher prevalence of having anxiety, adjustment disorders, or stress.
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer educational curricula for Service members and their families regarding the link between childhood trauma and suicide
Provide a list of local resources for Service members and their families when having suicidal thoughts
Collaborate with mental health providers in creating peer support programs for Service members in emotional distress, including those with suicidal thoughts or behavior
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage routine screening for childhood trauma at enlistment or prior to deployment
Encourage the development and continuation of programs that can promote resilience in Service members, their partners and children
Recommend that military installations participate in suicide prevention public awareness campaigns that educate their communities about resources, hotlines, and support services
Methods
The records of Active Duty Soldiers who attempted or completed suicide as identified by completed Department of Defense Suicide Event Report were included in these analyses.
Suicide cases from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2010 were extracted from the Army Behavioral Health Integrated Data Environment.
Data included answers to an open ended question about any known childhood or developmental history events. Childhood trauma was classified as personal (physical, sexual or emotional abuse), environmental (family substance abuse), family mental health problems, and witnessing violence in the home.
Statistical analysis only included cases with complete information regarding childhood trauma (36%).
Participants
Initially 2,112 records of attempt and 691 successful suicide cases were included; only 995 (36%) had complete information and were included in final analyses.
Among the participants who were suicide attempters with no childhood trauma information (n = 293), most were male (83%), between 18-24 years old ( 62%), White (67%), and 43% had one deployment.
Among the participants who were suicide attempters with childhood trauma information (n = 538): most were male (71%), between 18-24 years old (65%), White (73%), and 40% had one deployment.
Suicide completers with no childhood trauma information (n = 93) were mostly male (97%), between 18-24 years old (52%), White (65%), and 37% had one deployment.
Limitations
Only attempted suicides that were reported were included; these figures may underestimate the actual rates.
Only cases determined to have complete childhood trauma assessments were included which resulted in a large number of excluded cases that may have biased results.
The comparisons were conducted between those who attempted and completed suicide. Comparisons with Soldiers who did not attempt suicide may have been useful as well.
Avenues for Future Research
Collect data on military personnel from other branches to consider similarities and differences
Identify a broader range of risk factors for suicide attempts and examine how those factors impact outcomes
Gather data on those without suicidal behavior to use as a comparison group
Focus
Army
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Branch
Military Component
Abstract
In 2009, suicide was reported to be the third leading cause of death among U.S. Army personnel. The increase of suicides in the Army indicates the need for additional research to better understand the problem. Research in civilian populations found that experiencing childhood trauma increases the risk for various negative health outcomes, including suicide and suicide attempts, during adulthood. To date, there has been very little focus on pre-existing mental health before joining the service because of a lack of existing data. Participants were active duty Army Soldiers who attempted or completed suicide as identified by the Department of Defense Suicide Event Report. Among Soldiers exhibiting suicidal behavior, analyses were completed to identify significant associations with specific types of childhood trauma experienced before joining the Army. The prevalence of childhood trauma in this population was 43.3% among the suicide cases and 64.7% among the attempt cases. The most common types of childhood trauma among Soldiers were family problems and abuse. The need for further research among military populations is clear given the high prevalence of childhood trauma found among these Soldiers with suicidal behavior and the lack of complete data for this population.
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