Active-Duty Service Members and Suicidality: Resilience and Prevention
摘要
Research shows increasing suicide rates among U.S. military personnel that are currently surpassing that of the U.S. general population. Specific military service characteristics can lead to serious mental concerns that increase the risk for suicidal behaviors, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, substance use, and traumatic brain injury. In response to the high rate of suicide among this population, the Department of Defense began implementing efforts across many military institutions. Additionally, development began on various suicide prevention programs and policies to help identify and support at-risk individuals. Common prevention strategies include problem-solving training, lectures at training programs, crisis-intervention command consultations, outpatient follow-up care with mental health services, and mental health services for the service member and their family. Service member resilience offers additional protective factors such as social support, personal control, and adaptive coping that can mitigate the risks of suicidal behaviors. The military began promoting resilience by mandating an evidence-based program to enhance resilience fundamentals. In 2022, the Department of Defense was established. The Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) to address and prevent suicide across military installations by implementing new policies, programs, and resources. While resilience and other protective factors are crucial in the theoretical frameworks of suicide risk, research has rarely focused on identifying additional and modifiable protective factors. This chapter describes suicidality among active-duty U.S. military personnel, presents protective factors, reviews resilience-building initiatives, and provides treatment recommendations for suicide prevention.