Citation

Hom MA, Lim IC, Stanley IH, Chiurliza B, Podlogar MC, Michaels MS, Buchman-Schmitt JM, Silva C, Ribeiro JD, Joiner TE. J. Psychiatr. Res. 2016; 79: 108-115.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 West Call Street, Tallahassee FL 32306, United States.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.05.008

PMID

27218816

Abstract

Given the high rates of suicide among military personnel and the need to characterize suicide risk factors associated with mental health service use, this study aimed to identify suicide-relevant factors that predict: (1) treatment engagement and treatment adherence, and (2) suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and major depressive episodes in a military sample. Army recruiters (N = 2596) completed a battery of self-report measures upon study enrollment. Eighteen months later, information regarding suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, major depressive episodes, and mental health visits were obtained from participants' military medical records. Suicide attempts and suicidal ideation were very rare in this sample; negative binomial regression analyses with robust estimation were used to assess correlates and predictors of mental health treatment visits and major depressive episodes. More severe insomnia and agitation were significantly associated with mental health visits at baseline and over the 18-month study period. In contrast, suicide-specific hopelessness was significantly associated with fewer mental health visits. Insomnia severity was the only significant predictor of major depressive episodes.

FINDINGS suggest that assessment of sleep problems might be useful in identifying at-risk military service members who may engage in mental health treatment. Additional research is warranted to examine the predictive validity of these suicide-related symptom measures in a more representative, higher suicide risk military sample.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en