Do unit and post-deployment social support influence the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation?

Deployment sexual trauma is associated with post-deployment suicidal ideation. No studies have examined the role of social support in this association. The present study examined if perceived unit support and post-deployment support influenced the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation. 824 post-9/11 veterans (480 men, 344 women) from the Survey of Experiences of Returning Veterans completed the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory-2 and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale. Age, possible depression, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and lifetime suicide attempt were covaried. Among men, post-deployment support moderated the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation; deployment sexual trauma predicted suicidal ideation only for men reporting low post-deployment support. Among women, post-deployment support mediated the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation. Unit support neither moderated nor mediated the association between deployment sexual trauma and suicidal ideation. Among men who experience deployment sexual trauma, those with low perceived post-deployment support may be at particularly elevated risk for suicidal ideation and may benefit from more intensive monitoring and interventions that bolster social support. Increasing perceived post-deployment support for women who experience deployment sexual trauma is also warranted. Determining optimal ways to strengthen post-deployment support for sexual trauma survivors is essential.

Monteith LL ，Hoffmire CA ，Holliday R ，Park CL ，Mazure CM ，Hoff RA ... -  《-》

The influence of gender on suicidal ideation following military sexual trauma among Veterans in the Veterans Health Administration.

No studies have examined whether military sexual trauma, as measured and defined within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), is associated with suicidal ideation among Veterans in VHA care, when taking prior suicide attempts into account. Research regarding the role of gender in this association is also limited. The present study examined: (1) whether military sexual trauma was associated with the presence of past-week suicidal ideation among 354 Veterans in VHA (310 men, 44 women); (2) whether gender moderated the association between military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation. Information regarding military sexual trauma, suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, and psychiatric diagnoses was obtained from self-report instruments and medical records. Adjusting for age, gender, combat, posttraumatic stress disorder, depressive disorders, negative affect, and lifetime suicide attempt, Veterans with military sexual trauma were significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation, compared to Veterans without military sexual trauma. Furthermore, the association between military sexual trauma and suicidal ideation was stronger for men compared to women. These results contribute to a growing literature identifying military sexual trauma as a risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behaviors among Veterans in VHA care and emphasize the importance of screening for suicidal ideation among survivors of military sexual trauma.

Monteith LL ，Bahraini NH ，Matarazzo BB ，Gerber HR ，Soberay KA ，Forster JE ... -  《-》

Identifying factors associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts following military sexual trauma.

As increasing research demonstrates that military sexual trauma (MST) is associated with suicidal ideation and attempts, discerning factors that place MST survivors at risk for these outcomes is critical. The present study aimed to: (1) characterize suicidal ideation and attempts among MST survivors; (2) identify factors associated with post-MST suicide attempts, post-MST suicidal ideation, and past-week suicidal ideation. A convenience sample of 108 veterans (66 women, 42 men) who reported a history of MST participated in this cross-sectional study. Pre-MST suicidal ideation and attempt, childhood physical and sexual abuse, military sexual assault, institutional betrayal, and posttraumatic cognitions about self, world, and self-blame were examined, with age and gender as covariates. Seventy-five percent of participants reported experiencing post-MST suicidal ideation, and 40.7% reported attempting suicide following MST. Pre-MST suicide attempt and posttraumatic cognitions about self were associated with post-MST suicide attempt. Pre-MST suicidal ideation, military sexual assault, childhood physical abuse, and posttraumatic cognitions about self were associated with post-MST suicidal ideation. Lastly, pre-MST suicidal ideation and posttraumatic cognitions about self were associated with past-week suicidal ideation; results were unchanged when accounting for recent PTSD or depressive symptoms. The cross-sectional design, retrospective self-report, and small sample are limitations. Addressing negative posttraumatic beliefs about self may be important for managing suicide risk among MST survivors. Assessing for pre-MST suicidal ideation and attempt is likely also warranted. Further understanding of the longitudinal impact of posttraumatic beliefs about self on subsequent risk for suicidal ideation and attempt is warranted.

Monteith LL ，Holliday R ，Schneider AL ，Forster JE ，Bahraini NH ... -  《-》

Sexual Trauma and Combat During Deployment: Associations With Suicidal Ideation Among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans.

Compelling evidence has emerged on the association between military sexual trauma and suicide attempt; however, research investigating how sexual trauma during deployment relates to suicidal ideation has received considerably less attention and has yielded mixed findings. Furthermore, such research has not accounted for other types of trauma that may occur during deployment. Our objectives were to examine whether sexual trauma during deployment was associated with recent suicidal ideation, adjusting for exposure to combat. Our sample included 199 Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans entering inpatient trauma-focused treatment who completed the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (Beck & Steer, ) and the Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory Sexual Harassment and Combat Experiences Scales (King, King, Vogt, Knight, & Samper, ). Deployment-related sexual trauma was significantly associated with recent suicidal ideation, adjusting for age and gender (β = .18, ηp (2) = .03) and additionally for combat (β = .17, ηp (2) = .02). These findings underscore the importance of assessing for deployment-related sexual trauma when assessing suicide risk in OEF/OIF/OND veterans in inpatient settings.

Monteith LL ，Menefee DS ，Forster JE ，Wanner JL ，Bahraini NH ... -  《-》

Perceptions of Institutional Betrayal Predict Suicidal Self-Directed Violence Among Veterans Exposed to Military Sexual Trauma.

We examined perceptions of institutional betrayal among Veterans exposed to military sexual trauma (MST) and whether perceptions of institutional betrayal are associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and suicidal ideation and attempt after MST. A total of 49 Veterans with MST completed self-report measures and interviews in a Veterans Health Administration setting. Many participants reported perceptions that a military institution created an environment in which MST seemed common, likely to occur, and did not proactively prevent such experiences. Many participants expressed difficulty reporting MST and indicated that the institutional response to reporting was inadequate. Over two-thirds perceived that the institution had created an environment in which they no longer felt valued or in which continued membership was difficult. Perceptions of institutional betrayal were associated with PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and increased odds of attempting suicide after MST. In contrast, perceptions of institutional betrayal were not associated with post-MST suicidal ideation. Among the subsample of Veterans exposed to military sexual assault, the association between institutional betrayal and PTSD symptoms approached significance. Perceptions regarding institutional betrayal appear to be highly relevant to MST and its sequelae. These findings underscore the importance of Veterans' perceptions of the military institution's efforts to prevent and respond to MST to individual recovery from sexual trauma. Additional research regarding the association between institutional betrayal and health-related outcomes is needed.

Monteith LL ，Bahraini NH ，Matarazzo BB ，Soberay KA ，Smith CP ... -  《-》