Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA.
J Affect Disord. 2011 Oct;133(3):398-405. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2011.05.011. Epub 2011 Jun 8.
Over the last decade, suicide rates in the U.S. military have steadily increased, resulting in a call for suicide-related research with military populations. The present project aimed to describe and evaluate the communications (i.e., verbally and in suicide notes) of 13 suicide risk factors in the suicide death investigation files of 98 active duty U.S. Air Force (USAF) members.
Two-hundred thirty-seven suicide death investigation files were coded. Ninety-eight decedents left suicide notes and were included in the current analyses. Descriptive statistics were computed to evaluate the types of risk factors most commonly communicated prior to and at the time of death as well as the medium for their communication. Specifically, verbal and note communications were compared to evaluate which medium decedents most often used to communicate risk factors. Also, the frequency that interpersonal compared to intrapsychic risk factors were communicated was evaluated.
Hopelessness (35.7% of cases) and perceived burdensomeness (31.6% of cases) were the risk factors most often communicated in suicide notes but not verbally. Thwarted belongingness (29.6% of cases) was the risk factor most often communicated verbally and in the suicide note. Further, evaluated risk factors were more frequently communicated in suicide notes than verbally. Finally, interpersonal risk factors were more often communicated than intrapsychic risk factors.
The validity of the data relies on interviews of decedents' acquaintances and various medical/military records.
Our findings support emphasizing certain risk factors over others in USAF suicide prevention efforts. Further, interpersonal risk factors appeared to be more salient than intrapsychic risk factors in the minds of decedents.
在过去的十年中，美国军队的自杀率稳步上升，因此需要对与军队人口有关的自杀问题进行研究。本项目旨在描述和评估在 98 名现役美国空军（USAF）成员的自杀死亡调查档案中的 13 个自杀风险因素的交流情况（即口头和自杀笔记）。
对 237 份自杀死亡调查档案进行了编码。有 98 名死者留下了自杀遗书，并被纳入了当前的分析。计算了描述性统计数据，以评估在死亡前和死亡时最常传达的风险因素类型以及传达这些风险因素的媒介。具体来说，比较了口头和笔记交流，以评估死者最常使用哪种媒介来传达风险因素。此外，还评估了人际风险因素与内在心理风险因素的传达频率。
绝望感（35.7%的案例）和有被拖累感（31.6%的案例）是在自杀笔记中最常传达但不是口头传达的风险因素。受挫归属感（29.6%的案例）是最常口头传达和在自杀笔记中传达的风险因素。此外，评估的风险因素在自杀笔记中比口头传达的更频繁。最后，人际风险因素比内在心理风险因素更常被传达。
数据的有效性依赖于对死者熟人的访谈以及各种医疗/军事记录。
我们的研究结果支持在 USAF 的自杀预防工作中强调某些风险因素而不是其他因素。此外，在死者的心目中，人际风险因素似乎比内在心理风险因素更为突出。
