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Early first deployment, shorter dwell time linked to suicide among soldiers
Study results published in JAMA Psychiatry indicated that early first deployment and shorter length of time between deployments, known as dwell time, were associated with higher risk for suicide attempt among enlisted soldiers with two deployments.
“Understanding time-related factors has implications for managing human resources during combat and predicting suicidal behavior in other high-risk occupations,” Robert J. Ursano, MD, director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, department of psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and colleagues wrote. “It is not known how deployment within the first year may affect longer-term risk of suicidal behavior during or after subsequent deployments.”
Using administrative data from a longitudinal, retrospective cohort study known as the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Service Members, researchers examined the connection between time-related deployment variables (time in service before first deployment, duration of first deployment and dwell time) and subsequent suicide attempt among active-duty soldiers who had deployed twice. They assessed 593 soldiers with a medically documented suicide attempt during or after their second deployment and a control sample of 19,034 soldiers with two deployments.
After adjusting for covariates, risk for suicide attempt during or after second deployment was higher among soldiers whose first deployment occurred within the first year of service compared with after 12 months (OR = 2; 95% CI, 1.6-2.4). Risk for suicide attempt during or after second deployment was also higher among those with a dwell time of 6 months or less compared with those with a dwell time of longer than 6 months (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2). However, duration of first deployment was not linked to later suicide attempt.
Further analysis revealed that other characteristics did not change the associations of suicide attempt risk with early deployment and dwell time. The population-attributable risk proportions for deploying within the first year of service was 14.2%, which suggests that suicide attempts may be reduced by as much as 14.2% if all soldiers with two deployments served for more than 1 year prior to their first deployment, according to the authors. The population-attributable risk proportion for dwell time of 6 months or less was 4%.
The authors concluded that these time-related deployment variables are potentially modifiable risk factors for suicide attempts among soldiers.
“The research addresses very important issues in planning on recovery and deployment. The importance of training, developing one’s ties to one’s unit and recovery between deployments are the conclusions of this study. Other work has shown short dwell times associated with greater risk for traumatic stress,” Ursano told Healio Psychiatry. “Further research is needed to identify critical time periods and to study different outcomes related to risk of early deployment and short dwell times.” – by Savannah Demko
Disclosures: Ursano reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.