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Cited by 396Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesPosttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchOccupational Health and Performance

Risk Factors Associated With Suicide in Current and Former US Military Personnel

LeardMann, Cynthia A., Powell, Teresa M., Smith, Tyler C., Bell, Michael R., Smith, Besa, Boyko, Edward J., Hooper, Tomoko I., Gackstetter, Gary D. +2 more·2013·JAMA
DOI 10.1001/jama.2013.65164
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Abstract

IMPORTANCE: Beginning in 2005, the incidence of suicide deaths in the US military began to sharply increase. Unique stressors, such as combat deployments, have been assumed to underlie the increasing incidence. Previous military suicide studies, however, have relied on case series and cross-sectional investigations and have not linked data during service with postservice periods. OBJECTIVE: To prospectively identify and quantify risk factors associated with suicide in current and former US military personnel including demographic, military, mental health, behavioral, and deployment characteristics. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Prospective longitudinal study with accrual and assessment of participants in 2001, 2004, and 2007. Questionnaire data were linked with the National Death Index and the Department of Defense Medical Mortality Registry through December 31, 2008. Participants were current and former US military personnel from all service branches, including active and Reserve/National Guard, who were included in the Millennium Cohort Study (N = 151,560). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Death by suicide captured by the National Death Index and the Department of Defense Medical Mortality Registry. RESULTS: Through the end of 2008, findings were 83 suicides in 707,493 person-years of follow-up (11.73/100,000 person-years [95% CI, 9.21-14.26]). In Cox models adjusted for age and sex, factors significantly associated with increased risk of suicide included male sex, depression, manic-depressive disorder, heavy or binge drinking, and alcohol-related problems. None of the deployment-related factors (combat experience, cumulative days deployed, or number of deployments) were associated with increased suicide risk in any of the models. In multivariable Cox models, individuals with increased risk for suicide were men (hazard ratio [HR], 2.14; 95% CI, 1.17-3.92; P = .01; attributable risk [AR], 3.5 cases/10,000 persons), and those with depression (HR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.05-3.64; P = .03; AR, 6.9/10,000 persons), manic-depressive disorder (HR, 4.35; 95% CI, 1.56-12.09; P = .005; AR, 35.6/10,000 persons), or alcohol-related problems (HR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.56-4.18; P <.001; AR, 7.7/10,000 persons). A nested, matched case-control analysis using 20:1 control participants per case confirmed these findings. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this sample of current and former military personnel observed July 1, 2001-December 31, 2008, suicide risk was independently associated with male sex and mental disorders but not with military-specific variables. These findings may inform approaches to mitigating suicide risk in this population.

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Authors
LeardMann, C. A., Powell, T. M., Smith, T. C., Bell, M. R., Smith, B., Boyko, E. J., Hooper, T. I., Gackstetter, G. D., Ghamsary, M., & Hoge, C. W.
Affiliations
  • Naval Health Research Center (US)
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • VA Puget Sound Health Care System (US)
  • Loma Linda University (US)
  • Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (US)
Corresponding author
LeardMann, Cynthia A.
ORCID
Venue
JAMA
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2013-08-07
Volume
310
Issue
5
Pages
496
ISSN
  • 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
  • 0098-7484
DOI
10.1001/jama.2013.65164
OpenAlex
W2126951254
Cited by
395
References
34
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 51 · 2015: 60 · 2014: 48 · 2013: 9
FWCI
62.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • JAMA (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Performance
Keywords
military suicide, suicide risk factors, US military personnel, depression, bipolar disorder, binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, combat deployment, military mental health, Millennium Cohort Study, sex differences in suicide
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Mental Disorders, Cause of Death, Data Collection, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Military Personnel, Prospective Studies, Registries, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Suicide, Time Factors, United States, Incidence, Iraq War, 2003-2011, Young Adult, Afghan Campaign 2001-

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