Cited by 281Suicide and Self-Harm StudiesOccupational Health and PerformancePosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Predictors of Suicide and Accident Death in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS): Results From the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS)

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Schoenbaum, Michael, Kessler, Ronald C., Gilman, Stephen E., Colpe, Lisa J., Heeringa, Steven G., Stein, Murray B., Ursano, Robert J., Cox, Kenneth L.·2014·JAMA Psychiatry

Abstract

IMPORTANCE: The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is a multicomponent study designed to generate actionable recommendations to reduce Army suicides and increase knowledge of risk and resilience factors for suicidality. OBJECTIVES: To present data on prevalence, trends, and basic sociodemographic and Army experience correlates of suicides and accident deaths among active duty Regular Army soldiers between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009, and thereby establish a foundation for future Army STARRS investigations. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of trends and predictors of suicide and accident deaths using Army and Department of Defense administrative data systems. Participants were all members of the US Regular Army serving at any time between 2004 and 2009. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Death by suicide or accident during active Army service. RESULTS: The suicide rate rose between 2004 and 2009 among never deployed and currently and previously deployed Regular Army soldiers. The accident death rate fell sharply among currently deployed soldiers, remained constant among the previously deployed, and trended upward among the never deployed. Increased suicide risk was associated with being a man (or a woman during deployment), white race/ethnicity, junior enlisted rank, recent demotion, and current or previous deployment. Sociodemographic and Army experience predictors were generally similar for suicides and accident deaths. Time trends in these predictors and in the Army's increased use of accession waivers (which relaxed some qualifications for new soldiers) do not explain the rise in Army suicides. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Predictors of Army suicides were largely similar to those reported elsewhere for civilians, although some predictors distinct to Army service emerged that deserve more in-depth analysis. The existence of a time trend in suicide risk among never-deployed soldiers argues indirectly against the view that exposure to combat-related trauma is the exclusive cause of the increase in Army suicides.

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  • More complex EMR-based screening, bypassing gatekeepers, may improve identification of higher risk patients.

    “More complex EMR-based screening, bypassing gatekeepers, may improve identification of higher risk patients.(43–47)”

    From Improving Suicide Prevention Through Evidence-Based Strategies: A Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [43]

    The Historical Administrative Data Study section (page unavailable) describes using soldiers’ administrative records to study predictors of suicide risk, and the Discussion (page unavailable) proposes adding more detailed predictors. The paper does not evaluate EMR-based screening, show that it improves identification of high-risk patients, or discuss bypassing gatekeepers. (LLM, conf=0.79)

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Authors
Schoenbaum, M., Kessler, R. C., Gilman, S. E., Colpe, L. J., Heeringa, S. G., Stein, M. B., Ursano, R. J., & Cox, K. L.
Affiliations
  • National Institute of Mental Health (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of Michigan (US)
  • University of California San Diego (US)
  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (US)
  • Defense Center for Public Health - Aberdeen (US)
Corresponding author
Schoenbaum, Michael
Venue
JAMA Psychiatry
Published
2014-05-01
Volume
71
Issue
5
Pages
493
ISSN
2168-622X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2098848757
Cited by
281
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 29 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 34 · 2014: 21
FWCI
50.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • JAMA Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (U01MH087981)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (U01MH087981)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Occupational Health and Performance
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords
military suicide, accident deaths, Army STARRS, suicide risk factors, resilience, active duty military personnel, deployment, sociodemographic predictors, suicide trends, demotion, combat exposure, suicide prevention
MeSH terms
Accidents, Occupational, Suicide Prevention, Adult, Cause of Death, Combat Disorders, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Forecasting, Humans, Male, Military Personnel, Risk Factors, Statistics as Topic, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Suicide, United States, Incidence, Risk Assessment, Iraq War, 2003-2011, Resilience, Psychological, Young Adult, Afghan Campaign 2001-

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