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Gromatsky M, Halverson TF, Dillon KH, Wilson LC, LoSavio ST, Walsh S, Mellows C, Mann AJ, Goodman M, Kimbrel NA. The Prevalence of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Military Personnel: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2023; 24:2936-2952. [PMID: 36062896 PMCID: PMC9985671 DOI: 10.1177/15248380221119513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Military service members and veterans (SMVs) are at risk for self-directed violence, including nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). While NSSI is an important construct worthy of independent study, it is understudied among SMVs and, when included in research, typically examined in the context of suicide risk. Consequently, lifetime prevalence rate estimates of NSSI among SMVs vary. This Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses systematic review and meta-analysis estimated the average lifetime NSSI prevalence among SMVs and explored demographic and methodological factors that may account for observed variability. Based on a search of Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science, 47 samples from 42 articles across five countries met inclusion criteria. Results revealed an average NSSI lifetime prevalence rate of 15.76% among SMVs. Significantly higher prevalence rates were observed among clinical (28.14%) versus community (11.28%) samples and studies using interviews to assess NSSI (23.56%) versus self-report (13.44%) or chart review (7.84%). Lifetime prevalence increased as publication year increased and decreased as sample size increased. In contrast to prior literature, prevalence rates were comparable between active-duty SMVs, and studies collecting data anonymously versus those that did not. Lifetime prevalence was not moderated by age, gender, race, country, primary research focus, quality of NSSI operationalization, or whether NSSI methods were assessed. Findings suggest NSSI is a pervasive problem among military personnel, particularly within clinical settings, highlighting the need for systematic assessment of this important but understudied clinical phenomenon among SMVs. Further research is necessary to elucidate additional risk factors for NSSI among SMVs, including trauma exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Gromatsky
- VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Tate F. Halverson
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC
- VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Kirsten H. Dillon
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Laura C. Wilson
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA
| | - Stefanie T. LoSavio
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Samantha Walsh
- Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Clara Mellows
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Adam J. Mann
- Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
| | - Marianne Goodman
- VISN 2 Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, NY
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Nathan A. Kimbrel
- Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC
- VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- VA Health Services Research and Development Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham, NC
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Nezu AM, Nezu CM, Stern J, Woods AP. Social problem solving moderates emotion reactivity in predicting suicide ideation among college students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023:1-7. [PMID: 37943518 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2277860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the hypothesis that social problem solving (SPS) moderates strong emotion reactivity (ER) to stressful events in predicting suicide ideation (SI). Participants: 200 college students: mean age = 20.33; 75% women; 58% white. Methods: Participants completed the following self-report inventories: Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Emotion Reactivity Scale, and Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised. Results: Regression and slope analyses found SPS to moderate the association between ER and SI. Specifically, (a) as ER increased, SI increased significantly less for average problem solvers as compared to ineffective problem solvers, and (b) SI increased only slightly for effective problem solvers as ER increased. A secondary exploratory analysis found 20 college students who previously attempted suicide reported more negative ER, less effective SPS, and higher SI, as compared to a group of 20 sex-and age-matched peers. Conclusions: Effective social problem solving serves to decrease the likelihood that college students will experience higher levels of suicide ideation even when their negative emotion reactivity is high. Clinical implications for treatment and prevention are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur M Nezu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Christine Maguth Nezu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jessica Stern
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexandra P Woods
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, New York, USA
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Nichter B, Monteith LL, Norman SB, Maguen S, Hill ML, Herzog S, Pietrzak RH. Differentiating U.S. military veterans who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide: A population-based study. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2021; 72:117-123. [PMID: 34450447 DOI: 10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several vulnerability factors for suicidal behavior in U.S. veterans have been identified. However, little is known about factors that differentiate veterans who contemplate suicide from those who attempt suicide. This study examined sociodemographic and clinical characteristics that distinguish veterans who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide. METHOD Data were analyzed from the 2019-2020 National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a population-based sample of 4069 veterans. Analyses estimated the lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA); and examined differences between veterans with a history of attempt(s), and SI without a history of attempt(s). RESULTS A total 25.9% of U.S. veterans reported lifetime SI and 3.9% reported a SA. Several factors distinguished veterans with a history of SA from those with SI only: the strongest were younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.95-0.98), nonsuicidal self-injury (OR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.11-3.03), adverse childhood experiences (OR = 1.14; 95% CI = 1.06-1.23), alcohol use disorder (OR = 1.99; 95% CI = 1.28-3.12), lower household income (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.40-0.95), and physical disability (OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 1.07-2.70). CONCLUSIONS Although a quarter of U.S. veterans contemplate suicide in their lifetimes, the majority do not attempt suicide. Specific sociodemographic and clinical features may differentiate veterans who contemplate versus attempt suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Nichter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Lindsey L Monteith
- VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center for Veteran Suicide Prevention, Aurora, CO, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Sonya B Norman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Shira Maguen
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA; University of California - San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Melanie L Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Herzog
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert H Pietrzak
- National Center for PTSD, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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