TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Development of a leader tool for assessing and mitigating suicide risk factors
JO  - Military medicine
A1  - Hoyt, Tim
A1  - Repke, Diana
A1  - Barry, David
A1  - Baisley, Margaret
A1  - Jervis, Shellie
A1  - Black, Ryan
A1  - McCreight, Sarah
A1  - Prendergast, Daniel
A1  - Brinton, Chauncy
A1  - Amin, Rohul
SP  - 334
EP  - 341
VL  - 185
IS  - Suppl 1
N2  - INTRODUCTION: Despite efforts in prevention, suicide rates in the US military remain unchanged. This article describes the development of a tool for leaders to identify and mitigate suicide risk factors. <br><br>METHODS: A seven-item measure, the Leader Suicide Risk Assessment Tool (LSRAT), was constructed to allow leaders to assess and mitigate suicide drivers. During a 6-mo pilot, unit leaders completed the LSRAT for 161 at-risk soldiers. The LSRAT data were compared to clinical data from a subset of these soldiers. <br><br>RESULTS: The LSRAT showed good test-retest reliability. The LSRAT scores showed significant correlations with both clinical and screening measures of suicidality. Command actions mitigated or partially mitigated 89% of risk factors identified on the LSRAT. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: This study provides initial psychometric data on a tool that prescribes concrete responses to mitigate risk. The LSRAT may be a valid and feasible tool to assist front-line commanders in identifying potential area's risk mitigation. Synchronization efforts between commanders, clinicians, and support services are crucial to ensure effective intervention to prevent suicide behavior.<br><br>© Association of Military Surgeons of the United States 2020. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0026-4075
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usz194
ID  - ref1
ER  -