|
Suicide among military personnel: Looking at the statistics
|
Mohamad Azizi    , Jafar Mohsenifar , Leila Gonabadi-Nezhad , Moussa Abolhassani * |
| Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran , abolhassani.m@iums.ac.ir |
|
| Keywords: suicide, military personnel, statistics |
|
|
Full-Text [PDF 1130 kb]
(37 Downloads)
| Abstract (HTML) (139 Views)
|
Type of Study: Letter to Editor |
Subject:
Military Psychiatry
Received: 2025/02/25 | Revised: 2025/05/15 | Accepted: 2025/05/28 | Published: 2025/06/6
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Extended Abstract: (47 Views) |
Occupations in military and combat environments bring their own stress, anxiety, and problems for all soldiers, combat officers, support teams, and medical personnel. Among them, people who have higher psychological vulnerability for various reasons may be more affected by military and combat conditions and show suicidal thoughts and self-harm compared to others. Research shows that most suicides occur when people have suicidal thoughts. As a result, identifying people with suicidal thoughts as an important predictive factor can pave the way for suicide prevention interventions [1]. According to longitudinal studies, more than 42,000 people die from suicide each year, however, the risk of suicide among soldiers and veterans is approximately 1.5 times higher than in the general population. Also, due to the unique stresses that military personnel face, veteran suicides account for 22% of all suicide deaths in the United States. In addition, suicide is the second leading cause of death for military personnel, with approximately 22 suicide deaths per 100,000 veterans [2, 3].
Studies conducted in the United States have shown mixed results. One study reported a prevalence of 47.9% for suicidal ideation, attempted suicide, and self-harm in veterans, respectively, while another reported a prevalence of 1.9% for suicidal ideation and 2% for multiple suicidal ideation. Another study reported a prevalence of 11.7%, 3%, and 1.9% for suicidal ideation in the lifetime, past year, and past month, respectively. Elsewhere, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts, behavior, and attempts in soldiers was found to be 13.9%, 5.3%, and 2.4%, respectively. Another study found that 7.4% of soldiers with a history of suicide attempt, suicide again, with 46.3% of them attempting suicide twice in a month. It has been reported that 15% of American soldiers experienced significant life stress. Among them, soldiers with poor mental health and low resilience were more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Another study found that 40% of participants who had previously attempted suicide experienced a significant reduction in suicidal thoughts after receiving cognitive behavioral therapy, which improved their mental health. [2-4]
Research in Iran has shown that 28.4% of soldiers were at high risk of suicidal thoughts. There was a positive and significant relationship between depression and substance abuse variables and suicidal thoughts. In another study, it was observed that 44% of the samples had a history of previous suicide attempts or self-harm. The most common factors underlying suicide and self-harm in this study were mental disorders (37.2%), family problems (36.7%), and incompatibility with colleagues and the work environment (13.8%). The highest frequency of suicide and self-harm was related to the winter season. The method used was firearms (49.9%), cold weapons (25.2%), taking drugs (18.5%), hanging (4.4%), drinking oil and toilet fluid (1.2%), and jumping from a height (0.9%). Studies show that being female, having low education, being single, having psychological disorders, childhood trauma, and poor economic status are factors that exacerbate self-harm and suicidal thoughts among veterans. Studies have shown that soldiers and veterans who had post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, fear, stress, social stigma, poor sleep quality, moral injury, personality disorders, impulsivity, tobacco and alcohol addiction had high suicidal thoughts and behaviors [5-7]. Being in a military and war environment in itself causes its own psychological, physical, and social pressures. If a person has one or more psychological disorders for various reasons, he cannot make the right decision in critical and sensitive situations and looks for the easiest and shortest way to get rid of the problem in question. In relation to soldiers and veterans, it has also been proven that post-traumatic stress, psychological distress, sexual abuse, and impulsivity are directly related to suicidal thoughts and, if not identified in time, will have adverse consequences. In this context, a study examined the role of irrational beliefs, mindfulness, and cognitive avoidance in predicting suicidal thoughts in soldiers. The findings showed that there was a significant relationship between irrational beliefs, mindfulness, and cognitive avoidance and suicidal thoughts [7]. On the other hand, based on the studies conducted, resilience, cognitive flexibility, spiritual health, social support, and mental health can significantly reduce the amount of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in soldiers and veterans. Overall, the findings indicate that mental health plays a significant role in reducing suicidal thoughts and behaviors in military personnel.
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
|
|
| Send email to the article author |
|
|
|
| Add your comments about this article |
|
|
|
|
|
