Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Effects on Post-Treatment Suicide Attempts in a Military Sample: Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial With 2-Year Follow-Up
Abstract:Brief CBT was effective in preventing follow-up suicide attempts among active-duty military service members with current suicidal ideation and/or a recent suicide attempt.
“…Advancements have been made within the realm of telehealth/telemedicine, suicide-related screening, risk assessment, and treatment (Warner et al, 2011; Haney et al, 2012; Conner and Simons, 2015; McCarthy et al, 2015; Rudd et al, 2015). Fear of stigma and concerns of social isolation, discharge, or demotion might be some reasons why military personnel and Veterans do not seek care (Conner and Simons, 2015).…”
Suicidal Ideation among Afghanistan/Iraq War Veterans remains a health concern. As young Veterans adjust to civilian life, new risk factors might emerge and manifest differently in this group versus those in the general population. We explored these differences. With 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, we examined differences in risk of past-year suicidal ideation between Veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq War periods aged 18–34 years (N=328) and age-comparable civilians (N=23,222). We compared groups based on individual and socio-environmental risk factors as well as perceptions of unmet mental healthcare needs. We report adjusted rate ratios (aRRs); interaction terms tested for between-group differences. PY suicidal ideation rates for Veterans and civilians did not differ (52 versus 59 per 1,000, p=0.60) and both groups shared many risk factors. However, drug problems and perceived unmet mental health care needs were vastly stronger risk factors among Veterans versus civilians (interaction terms indicated that the aRRs were 3.8–8.0 times higher for Veterans versus civilians). Other differences were discovered as well. Past-year suicidal ideation rates did not differ by Veteran status among young adults. However, different risk factors per group were detected, which can inform Veteran suicide prevention efforts.
“…Advancements have been made within the realm of telehealth/telemedicine, suicide-related screening, risk assessment, and treatment (Warner et al, 2011; Haney et al, 2012; Conner and Simons, 2015; McCarthy et al, 2015; Rudd et al, 2015). Fear of stigma and concerns of social isolation, discharge, or demotion might be some reasons why military personnel and Veterans do not seek care (Conner and Simons, 2015).…”
Suicidal Ideation among Afghanistan/Iraq War Veterans remains a health concern. As young Veterans adjust to civilian life, new risk factors might emerge and manifest differently in this group versus those in the general population. We explored these differences. With 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data, we examined differences in risk of past-year suicidal ideation between Veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq War periods aged 18–34 years (N=328) and age-comparable civilians (N=23,222). We compared groups based on individual and socio-environmental risk factors as well as perceptions of unmet mental healthcare needs. We report adjusted rate ratios (aRRs); interaction terms tested for between-group differences. PY suicidal ideation rates for Veterans and civilians did not differ (52 versus 59 per 1,000, p=0.60) and both groups shared many risk factors. However, drug problems and perceived unmet mental health care needs were vastly stronger risk factors among Veterans versus civilians (interaction terms indicated that the aRRs were 3.8–8.0 times higher for Veterans versus civilians). Other differences were discovered as well. Past-year suicidal ideation rates did not differ by Veteran status among young adults. However, different risk factors per group were detected, which can inform Veteran suicide prevention efforts.
“…Brief cognitive-behavioral therapy that directly targets guilt and other self-deprecatory beliefs, for instance, contributes to significant reductions in posttreatment suicide attempts among military personnel (Rudd et al, 2015). Evidence also suggests that trauma-focused therapies such as cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure contribute to reductions in suicide ideation (Gradus, Suvak, Wisco, Marx, & Resick, 2013), which may be a result of the significant reductions in guilt that occur within these two therapies (Resick, Nishith, Weaver, Astin, & Feuer, 2002).…”
Section: Table 1 Means Standard Deviations and Intercorrelations Omentioning
Depression, posttraumatic stress (PTS), and guilt have been implicated as risk factors for suicide ideation (SI) among military personnel and veterans. Conceptual and empirical work suggests that guilt may mediate the relationship of depression and PTS with SI. The current study explored this hypothesis in two cross-sectional samples of military personnel and veterans (n = 464 and n = 158). Path analyses showed good fit for both samples [Sample 1: χ 2 (1) = 2.18, p = .140; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA = .05; WRMR = .23; Sample 2: χ 2 (2) = 1.39, p = .499; CFI = 1.00; RMSEA = .00; SRMR = .02] and indicated that depression was indirectly related to SI through guilt for both samples (ps < .038). Furthermore, guilt partially mediated the relationship of PTS with SI (p = .033) in Sample 1 and fully mediated the relationship (p = .016) in Sample 2. The present findings suggest that guilt may be a mechanism for increased risk among suicidal military personnel and veterans with depression and PTS.
“…Exceptions are the studies by Brown et al (2005), and, more recent, Rudd et al (2015). However, it appears to be difficult to keep patients in treatment.…”
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