ERIC Number: EJ982060
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012-Oct
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0363-0234
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Interaction of Combat Exposure and Unit Cohesion in Predicting Suicide-Related Ideation among Post-Deployment Soldiers
Mitchell, Mary M.; Gallaway, Michael Shayne; Millikan, Amy M.; Bell, Michael
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, v42 n5 p486-494 Oct 2012
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among U.S. Army soldiers. Suicide-related ideation, which is associated with suicide attempts and suicide, can cause considerable distress. In a sample of 1,663 recently redeployed soldiers, we used factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the associations between combat exposure, unit cohesion, and their interaction in predicting suicide-related ideation. We found that combat exposure was a significant risk factor for suicide-related ideation, while unit cohesion was a significant protective factor. The significant interaction between the two factors indicated that soldiers who experienced greater combat exposure but also had higher levels of unit cohesion had relatively lower levels of suicide-related ideation. In addition, those who had higher levels of combat exposure and lower unit cohesion were most at risk for suicide-related ideation. Our findings indicate the importance of unit cohesion in protecting soldiers from suicide-related ideation and suggest a higher risk group of soldiers who should be targeted for interventions. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Factor Analysis, Risk, Interaction, Suicide, Structural Equation Models, Adolescents, Prediction, Military Personnel, Armed Forces, War, Emotional Disturbances, Correlation, Group Dynamics, At Risk Persons, Intervention
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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