Deliberate self-harm and suicidal ideation among male Iraq/Afghanistan-era veterans seeking treatment for PTSD.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
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.
Full Text
Duke Authors
- Beckham, Jean Crowell
- Calhoun, Patrick Shields
- Hertzberg, Michael Andrew
- Kimbrel, Nathan Andrew
- Van Voorhees, Elizabeth E.
Cited Authors
- Kimbrel, NA; Johnson, ME; Clancy, C; Hertzberg, M; Collie, C; Van Voorhees, EE; Dennis, MF; Calhoun, PS; Beckham, JC
Published Date
- August 2014
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 27 / 4
Start / End Page
- 474 - 477
PubMed ID
- 25066891
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC4697760
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1573-6598
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1002/jts.21932
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States