Jitender Sareen1, Tracie O Afifi2, Tamara Taillieu3, Kristene Cheung4, Sarah Turner5, Murray B Stein6,7, Mark A Zamorski8,9. 1. 1 Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 2. 2 Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 3. 3 Applied Health Sciences Program, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 4. 4 Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 5. 5 Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 6. 6 University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. 7. 7 VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA. 8. 8 Research and Analysis Section, Directorate of Mental Health, Canadian Forces Health Services Group HQ, Ottawa, Ontario. 9. 9 Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Worldwide, there has been substantial controversy with respect to whether military deployment is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. The present study examined the relationship between lifetime exposure to deployment and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) and past-year suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP), and suicidal attempts (SA). METHOD: Data were analysed from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (8161 respondents; response rate, 79.8%; aged 18-60 years). A total of 12 individual items assessed exposure to DRTEs (e.g., combat, witnessing human atrocities, feeling responsible for the death of Canadian or ally personnel, knowing someone who was injured or killed). We examined each individual DRTE type as well as the number of types of DRTEs in relation to suicidal behaviour. RESULTS: Lifetime deployment was not significantly associated with suicidal behaviour. In models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, most of the individual DRTE items and the DRTE count variable were significantly associated with suicidal behaviours (adjusted odds ratio ranged between 1.10 and 5.32). When further adjusting for child abuse exposure, these associations were minimally attenuated, and some became nonsignificant. In models adjusting for mental disorders and child abuse, most DRTEs and number of types of DRTEs became nonsignificant in relation to SI, SP, and SA. CONCLUSIONS: Active military personnel exposed to increasing number of DRTEs are at increased risk for SI, SP, and SA. However, most of the association between DRTEs and suicidal behaviour is accounted for by child abuse exposure and mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE: Worldwide, there has been substantial controversy with respect to whether military deployment is a risk factor for suicidal behaviour. The present study examined the relationship between lifetime exposure to deployment and deployment-related traumatic events (DRTEs) and past-year suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal plans (SP), and suicidal attempts (SA). METHOD: Data were analysed from the 2013 Canadian Forces Mental Health Survey (8161 respondents; response rate, 79.8%; aged 18-60 years). A total of 12 individual items assessed exposure to DRTEs (e.g., combat, witnessing human atrocities, feeling responsible for the death of Canadian or ally personnel, knowing someone who was injured or killed). We examined each individual DRTE type as well as the number of types of DRTEs in relation to suicidal behaviour. RESULTS: Lifetime deployment was not significantly associated with suicidal behaviour. In models adjusted for sociodemographic variables, most of the individual DRTE items and the DRTE count variable were significantly associated with suicidal behaviours (adjusted odds ratio ranged between 1.10 and 5.32). When further adjusting for child abuse exposure, these associations were minimally attenuated, and some became nonsignificant. In models adjusting for mental disorders and child abuse, most DRTEs and number of types of DRTEs became nonsignificant in relation to SI, SP, and SA. CONCLUSIONS: Active military personnel exposed to increasing number of DRTEs are at increased risk for SI, SP, and SA. However, most of the association between DRTEs and suicidal behaviour is accounted for by child abuse exposure and mental disorders.
Authors: J John Mann; Alan Apter; Jose Bertolote; Annette Beautrais; Dianne Currier; Ann Haas; Ulrich Hegerl; Jouko Lonnqvist; Kevin Malone; Andrej Marusic; Lars Mehlum; George Patton; Michael Phillips; Wolfgang Rutz; Zoltan Rihmer; Armin Schmidtke; David Shaffer; Morton Silverman; Yoshitomo Takahashi; Airi Varnik; Danuta Wasserman; Paul Yip; Herbert Hendin Journal: JAMA Date: 2005-10-26 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: M David Rudd; Alan L Berman; Thomas E Joiner; Matthew K Nock; Morton M Silverman; Michael Mandrusiak; Kimberly Van Orden; Tracy Witte Journal: Suicide Life Threat Behav Date: 2006-06
Authors: Bruce P Dohrenwend; J Blake Turner; Nicholas A Turse; Ben G Adams; Karestan C Koenen; Randall Marshall Journal: Science Date: 2006-08-18 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Matthew K Nock; Guilherme Borges; Evelyn J Bromet; Christine B Cha; Ronald C Kessler; Sing Lee Journal: Epidemiol Rev Date: 2008-07-24 Impact factor: 6.222
Authors: Josep Maria Haro; Saena Arbabzadeh-Bouchez; Traolach S Brugha; Giovanni de Girolamo; Margaret E Guyer; Robert Jin; Jean Pierre Lepine; Fausto Mazzi; Blanca Reneses; Gemma Vilagut; Nancy A Sampson; Ronald C Kessler Journal: Int J Methods Psychiatr Res Date: 2006 Impact factor: 4.035
Authors: Tracie O Afifi; Murray W Enns; Brian J Cox; Gordon J G Asmundson; Murray B Stein; Jitender Sareen Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2008-04-01 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Jitender Sareen; Shay-Lee Belik; Tracie O Afifi; Gordon J G Asmundson; Brian J Cox; Murray B Stein Journal: Am J Public Health Date: 2008-10-15 Impact factor: 9.308
Authors: Jitender Sareen; Brian J Cox; Tracie O Afifi; Murray B Stein; Shay-Lee Belik; Graham Meadows; Gordon J G Asmundson Journal: Arch Gen Psychiatry Date: 2007-07
Authors: Anna C Rivera; Cynthia A LeardMann; Rudolph P Rull; Adam Cooper; Steve Warner; Dennis Faix; Edwin Deagle; Rob Neff; Ryan Caserta; Amy B Adler Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-06-28 Impact factor: 3.752
Authors: John L Oliffe; Mary T Kelly; Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner; Paul S Links; David Kealy; John S Ogrodniczuk Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2021-03-15 Impact factor: 4.356
Authors: R Nicholas Carleton; Tracie O Afifi; Sarah Turner; Tamara Taillieu; Sophie Duranceau; Daniel M LeBouthillier; Jitender Sareen; Rose Ricciardelli; Renee S MacPhee; Dianne Groll; Kadie Hozempa; Alain Brunet; John R Weekes; Curt T Griffiths; Kelly J Abrams; Nicholas A Jones; Shadi Beshai; Heidi A Cramm; Keith S Dobson; Simon Hatcher; Terence M Keane; Sherry H Stewart; Gordon J G Asmundson Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2017-08-28 Impact factor: 4.356
Authors: Alyson L Mahar; Alice B Aiken; Marlo Whitehead; Homer Tien; Heidi Cramm; Nicola T Fear; Paul Kurdyak Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2019-06-02 Impact factor: 2.692