Mental health evaluations of U.S. Air Force basic military training and technical training students.

A 2000 report by Staal, Cigrang, and Fiedler and a 1998 report by Cigrang, Carbone, Todd, and Fiedler described the attrition of U. S. Air Force basic military trainees due to mental health disorders for the year 1997. This article looks at the population of Air Force basic military trainees and technical training school students located at the same base during the year 2001. In addition, we look at the effect of allowing basic trainees and those in technical school to refer themselves for mental health evaluations as opposed to only evaluating those referred by secondary sources. Primary results of the data analysis suggest that mental health-related separation rates for calendar year 2001 basic military trainees are consistent with past years at 4.2%. For both basic trainees and technical school training students, adjustment disorders and depressive disorders are the top diagnostic categories related to recommendation for separation.

Marital status, life stressor precipitants, and communications of distress and suicide intent in a sample of United States Air Force suicide decedents.

Life stressor precipitants and communications of distress and suicide intent were examined among a sample of United States Air Force (USAF) married versus unmarried suicide decedents. A total of 100 death investigations conducted by the Office of Special Investigations on active duty USAF suicides occurring between 1996 and 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Married decedents were twice as likely 1) to have documented interpersonal conflict 24 hours prior to suicide and 2) to have communicated suicide intent to peers or professionals. Themes of distress communication for all decedents were intrapersonal (perceived stress, depression, psychological pain) and interpersonal (thwarted belongingness, rejection, loneliness). Suicide prevention programs and policies are encouraged to adapt efforts to the unique needs of married and unmarried individuals.

Suicide in the United States Air Force: Risk factors communicated before and at death.

BACKGROUND: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. LIMITATIONS: The validity of the data relies on interviews of decedents' acquaintances and various medical/military records. CONCLUSIONS: 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.