Bullying from Military Peers, Superiors, Subordinates, Friends, or Family Members in the Month Prior to Suicide

Bullying from Military Peers, Superiors, Subordinates, Friends or Family Members in the Month Prior to Suicide Natasha Dhanraj1,2, B.S., Leiana-Mejoi Griffith1,2, M.A., Catherine L. Dempsey1,2, Ph.D., David M. Benedek1,2, M.D., Matthew K. Nock3, Ph.D., Kelly Zuromski3, Ph.D., Jingning Ao1,2, M.S., Matthew W. Georg1,2, M.P.H., Katy Haller1,2, M.S.P.H., Pablo Aliaga1,2, M.A., David Brent4, M.D., Steven G. Heeringa5, Ph.D., Ronald C. Kessler6, Ph.D., Murray B. Stein7, M.D., M.P.H., and Robert J. Ursano1, M.D. 1Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD; 2Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD; 3Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA; 4Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Inc, Bethesda, MD; 5Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 6Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA; 7Department of Psychiatry and Department of Family Medicine & Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA; 8VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA METHODS INTRODUCTION RESULTS References: 1. Ursano, R. J., Colpe, L. J., Heeringa, S. G., Kessler, R. C., Schoenbaum, M. and Stein, M. B. (2014). The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS). Psychiatry, 77(2), 107-119. doi: 10.1521/psyc.2014.77.2.107 2. Nock, M. K., Dempsey, C. L., Aliaga, P. A., Brent, D. A., Heeringa, S. G., Kessler, R. C., … Benedek, D. (2017). Psychological Autopsy Study Comparing Suicide Decedents, Suicide Ideators, and Propensity Score Matched Controls: Results from the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service Members (Army STARRS). Psychological Medicine, 1-12. doi:10.1017/S0033291717001179 3. Conner, K. R., Beautrais, A. L., Brent, D. A., Conwell, Y., Phillips, M. R. & Schneider, B. 2011. The next generation of psy
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The suicide rate among US Army Soldiers has increased dramatically over the past decade; Despite increased and ongoing research efforts, an understanding of risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior among Soldiers is far from complete. The purpose of this study is to identify the extent to which the presence of bullying from military peers, superiors, subordinates, friends or family members are risk factors in US Army active component soldiers as reported by informants. Psychological autopsy studies provide information about risk and protective factors for suicide while overcoming the limitations of relying solely on available medical or administrative records of those who die by suicide.