Detecting Potential Underreporting of Suicide Ideation Among U.S. Military Personnel

Authors

Michael D. Anestis, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Richard S. Mohn, University of Southern MisissippiFollow
Jack W. Dormimey, West Virginia University
Bradley Green, University of Southern MississippiFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2019

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Using a military sample comprised largely of National Guard personnel, zero‐inflation negative binomial regression was applied to estimate the effects of indirect, nonface valid indicators of suicide ideation [Thwarted Belongingness (TB), Perceived Burdensomeness (PB), and Hopelessness], in predicting suicide ideation. Data from a sample of 497 military personnel (82.1% male; m_age = 27.24; range = 18–59) were analyzed. TB and the interaction of TB with Hopelessness were significant predictors in the logistic regression, and in the negative binomial regression, the main effects of TB and hopelessness, and the interactions of TB with hopelessness and PB with hopelessness were significant. The findings further indicated that approximately 10% of those not reporting ideation would be predicted to be ideators. Clinically, these results indicate that, in samples reluctant to report ideation, the assessment of suicide risk may improve through the use of relevant measures that do not explicitly reference suicide thoughts.

Publication Title

Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior

Volume

49

Issue

1

First Page

210

Last Page

220

Recommended Citation

Anestis, M. D., Mohn, R. S., Dormimey, J. W., Green, B. (2019). Detecting Potential Underreporting of Suicide Ideation Among U.S. Military Personnel. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 49(1), 210-220.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/16030