Understanding processes that advance suicidal behavior among Israeli active duty soldiers: A mediation model

Abstract

Objectives The current study was aimed to identify the factors and mechanisms that promote nonsuicidal self‐injury and suicidal ideation (SI) as precursors of suicidal behaviors in a sample of 553 Israeli active‐duty soldiers. Methods A mediation model was used to examine the contribution of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, emotion‐regulation difficulties, habituation, and risk‐taking behaviors to soldiers' self‐injury and SI. Results Results indicated direct effects between PTSD symptoms and self‐injury and SI, as well as between emotion regulation difficulties and self‐injury. Indirect effects were found between PTSD symptoms and nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) through the mechanisms of habituation and risk‐taking behavior and between difficulties in emotion regulation and NSSI through the mechanism of risk‐taking behaviors. Conclusion To tackle soldiers' suicidal behaviors, clinicians might assess soldiers' PTSD symptoms and difficulties in emotion regulation and intervene by lessening their access to thrill‐seeking situations and situations that increase habituation to pain and death.