TY - JOUR
T1 - German research perspectives on suicidality and the rationale for future multinational suicide prevention projects among military service personnel
AU - Willmund, Gerd-Dieter
AU - Waechter, Henriette
AU - Helms, Christian
AU - Wesemann, Ulrich
AU - Heß, Julius
AU - Seiffert, Anja
AU - Bambridge, Darren
AU - Lutz Zimmermann, Peter
AU - Himmerich, Hubertus
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - As a result of scientific publications indicating that the last two decades have seen an increase in the number of suicides in the US Armed Forces, the topic of suicide in the military of other countries, such as Germany, has also received a lot of attention in media and science alike. Risk factors for suicidal behaviour and suicide were identified in several research projects in the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany. Until now, German suicide research among military service personnel has mainly focused on epidemiological aspects of suicides and suicidality, individual risk factors, sub-groups at risk for suicide, suicides and deployment abroad, and associations of suicide and suicide attempts with acute mental disorders. The key findings are summarized in this review article. Efforts should be made to develop and evaluate risk group-focused and occupation-focused prevention and intervention programs. Future multinational studies should address potential differences between risk groups for fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour.
AB - As a result of scientific publications indicating that the last two decades have seen an increase in the number of suicides in the US Armed Forces, the topic of suicide in the military of other countries, such as Germany, has also received a lot of attention in media and science alike. Risk factors for suicidal behaviour and suicide were identified in several research projects in the US, Canada, the UK, and Germany. Until now, German suicide research among military service personnel has mainly focused on epidemiological aspects of suicides and suicidality, individual risk factors, sub-groups at risk for suicide, suicides and deployment abroad, and associations of suicide and suicide attempts with acute mental disorders. The key findings are summarized in this review article. Efforts should be made to develop and evaluate risk group-focused and occupation-focused prevention and intervention programs. Future multinational studies should address potential differences between risk groups for fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour.
KW - Deployment abroad
KW - epidemiology
KW - military mental health
KW - military service personnel
KW - risk factors
KW - suicidality
KW - suicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067243458&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09540261.2019.1581146
DO - 10.1080/09540261.2019.1581146
M3 - Review article
C2 - 31041871
SN - 0954-0261
VL - 31
SP - 60
EP - 74
JO - International Review of Psychiatry
JF - International Review of Psychiatry
IS - 1
ER -
