Predictors of Suicidal Ideation Across Deployment: A Prospective Study. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: Concurrent and prospective predictors of suicidal ideation were examined in a sample of 318 United States Air Force Security Forces across a 1-year deployment in Iraq and 6- to 9-month follow-up. METHOD: Participants included 294 male and 24 female Airmen ranging in age from 18 to 46 years, predominantly (67%) Caucasian. Measures included self-reports of postdeployment suicidal ideation, posttraumatic stress and depressive symptoms, alcohol use, combat experiences, relationship distress, social support, and postdeployment readjustment. RESULTS: Problem drinking before deployment prospectively predicted postdeployment suicidal ideation in univariate analyses. Depressive symptoms and problem drinking were significant independent predictors of postdeployment suicidal ideation. Findings demonstrated a ninefold increase in suicidal ideation among service members with even mild depressive symptoms if moderate problem drinking was also present. CONCLUSIONS: Predeployment problem drinking may serve as a modifiable target for early intervention of suicidal ideation. Findings illuminate the compound risk of comorbid depressive symptoms and moderate problem drinking in predicting suicidal ideation.

published proceedings

  • J Clin Psychol

altmetric score

  • 2.35

author list (cited authors)

  • Cigrang, J. A., Balderrama-Durbin, C., Snyder, D. K., Talcott, G. W., Tatum, J., Baker, M., ... Heyman, R. E.

citation count

  • 7

complete list of authors

  • Cigrang, Jeffrey A||Balderrama-Durbin, Christina||Snyder, Douglas K||Talcott, G Wayne||Tatum, JoLyn||Baker, Monty||Cassidy, Daniel||Sonnek, Scott||Smith Slep, Amy M||Heyman, Richard E

publication date

  • September 2015

publisher