Suicidal or self-harming ideation in military personnel transitioning to civilian life.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Suicides have markedly increased among military personnel in recent years. We used path analysis to examine factors associated with suicidal/self-harming ideation among male Navy and Marine Corps personnel transitioning to civilian life. Roughly 7% of men (Sailors = 5.3%, Marines = 9.0%) reported ideation during the previous 30 days. Results suggest that combat exposure, substance abuse, and resilience are associated with suicidal ideation/self-harming thoughts through the mediation of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and/or depression symptoms. Substance abuse plays a moderating role. Resilience had a direct effect only among the Marines. Implications for improving the transition to civilian life are discussed.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Mansfield, AJ; Bender, RH; Hourani, LL; Larson, GE

Published Date

  • August 2011

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 41 / 4

Start / End Page

  • 392 - 405

PubMed ID

  • 21599725

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1943-278X

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1111/j.1943-278X.2011.00039.x

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • England