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The Sexual Harassment-Suicide Connection in the U.S. Military: Contextual Effects of Hostile Work Environment and Trusted Unit Leaders
- Source :
- Suicidelife-threatening behavior. 49(1)
- Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Sexual harassment has been associated with suicidal behaviors, and with the rise in suicides in the U.S. military, sexual harassment's role in suicide has been of growing interest. Lacking are studies that examine group- or unit-level variables in the relationship of sexual harassment to suicidal behaviors (thoughts, plans, and attempts). In this study, survey data from soldiers (12,567 soldiers in 180 company-sized units) who completed the Unit Risk Inventory administered during calendar year 2010 were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. At the individual level, sexual harassment was associated with a fivefold increase for risk of suicide. Reporting that leaders could be trusted was associated with a decreased suicide risk by about one-third. There was no statistically significant interaction between sexual harassment and trusted leaders in predicting the suicidal behaviors. At the group level, units or companies having higher levels of sexual harassment also had soldiers three times more at risk for suicide. A cross-leveling effect was also observed: Among units having higher levels of sexual harassment, the negative correlation (buffering effect of unit leaders on suicidal behaviors) was diminished. Implications of findings for preventing sexual harassment and suicide risk are discussed.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
Suicide Prevention
0211 other engineering and technologies
Poison control
02 engineering and technology
Suicide prevention
Risk Assessment
Occupational safety and health
Suicidal Ideation
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Risk Factors
Surveys and Questionnaires
Injury prevention
medicine
Humans
Suicidal ideation
021110 strategic, defence & security studies
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Human factors and ergonomics
Protective Factors
United States
030227 psychiatry
Psychiatry and Mental health
Clinical Psychology
Leadership
Suicide
Military Personnel
Sexual Harassment
Harassment
Female
medicine.symptom
Psychology
Risk assessment
Social psychology
Clinical psychology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1943278X
- Volume :
- 49
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Suicidelife-threatening behavior
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....13bdb9b5b1cdce6c203ab0bea3d795c3