Citation

Kimbrel NA, Johnson ME, Clancy C, Hertzberg M, Collie C, Van Voorhees EE, Dennis MF, Calhoun PS, Beckham JC. J. Trauma. Stress 2014; 27(4): 474-477.

Affiliation

Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA; The VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/jts.21932

PMID

25066891

Abstract

The objectives of the present research were to examine the prevalence of deliberate self-harm (DSH) among 214 U.S. male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans seeking treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to evaluate the relationship between DSH and suicidal ideation within this population. Approximately 56.5% (n = 121) reported engaging in DSH during their lifetime; 45.3% (n = 97) reported engaging in DSH during the previous 2 weeks. As hypothesized, DSH was a significant correlate of suicidal ideation among male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans, OR = 3.88, p <.001, along with PTSD symptom severity, OR = 1.03, p <.001, and combat exposure, OR = 0.96, p =.040. A follow-up analysis identified burning oneself, OR = 17.14, p =.017, and hitting oneself, OR = 7.93, p <.001, as the specific DSH behaviors most strongly associated with suicidal ideation. Taken together, these findings suggest that DSH is quite prevalent among male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans seeking treatment for PTSD and is associated with increased risk for suicidal ideation within this population. Routine assessment of DSH is recommended when working with male Iraq/Afghanistan veterans seeking treatment for PTSD.

Language: en