Suicidal ideation and sense of coherence in male conscripts.

Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, reflecting a dispositional orientation which, according to theory, is associated with coping and resiliency, was highlighted in a study focusing on the association between stressful life events and the development of suicidal ideation and behaviour in the young. During their first stressful week of basic training, 663 male Norwegian conscripts answered a questionnaire focusing on their lifetime and current suicidal ideation and behaviour. The lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide was 21.7% and 2.6%, respectively. Suicide ideators and attempters had on average significantly lower SOC scores compared to respondents with no suicidal ideation or behaviour. Furthermore, a stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed SOC to be a good predictor of current suicidal ideation in this non-clinical population, accounting for 21% of the total variance.