Gender differences in risk and resilience for suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A national longitudinal survey study of United States veterans with a recent suicide attempt.

BACKGROUND: This study reports on gender differences in psychosocial symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors from the first longitudinal, national survey of veterans with a recent nonfatal suicide attempt to inform women-tailored suicide prevention. METHODS: We recruited all female veterans with a documented nonfatal suicide attempt between October 2018 and September 2019 and a stratified matched sample of males. Surveys were administered at baseline, month 6, and month 12; 968 veterans completed the baseline survey with valid gender data. Surveys assessed psychosocial constructs, suicidal ideation severity, and suicidal behavior. Administrative datasets provided healthcare and suicide attempt data during the one year follow up. RESULTS: Women retained higher social rejection and institutional betrayal, and lower self-compassion and autonomy than men over follow up. Higher overall self-compassion was associated with lower baseline suicide ideation for both women and men; however, this association was stronger for women (Δ = -0.19; 95 % CI = -0.31, -0.07; d = -0.15). Individuals with higher overall psychological distress had greater odds of a subsequent suicide attempt (AOR = 2.20, 95 % CI = 1.56, 3.11). Social rejection had the strongest association with worsening psychological distress, both within individuals (b = 0.18; 95 % CI = 0.14, 0.23; d = 0.23) and between individuals (b = 0.07; 95 % CI = 0.04, 0.10; d = 0.09). LIMITATIONS: Results may not generalize beyond a VHA-utilizing veteran population. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study inform potential therapeutic targets and topics for future research on tailoring suicide prevention for women veterans. While all veterans may need support reducing distress, women may need additional support in multiple other areas.

Inactivation of high-risk flags for suicide in the Veterans Health Administration: Association of documentation variation with suicide attempts.

Medical record high-risk flags for suicide indicate patients are receiving enhanced care and alert treating providers to patients' high-risk status. Risk of suicide mortality remains high after flag inactivation, suggesting a need to improve inactivation determinations. This study describes variation in flag inactivation documentation, examines whether documentation varies by patient or facility characteristics, and explores the association between inactivation documentation type and subsequent suicide attempts. In a national sample of veterans with a documented suicide attempt who received a high-risk flag for suicide (n = 224), medical record review was used to categorize provider documentation of the rationale and procedures for high-risk flag inactivation. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were used to examine patient and facility characteristics associated with flag inactivation documentation type and to examine the association between documentation type and subsequent suicide attempts. Flag inactivation documentation fell into one of two categories: documentation stating the patient no longer met criteria for the high-risk flag (minimal documentation; n = 98, 43.8%); and documentation that included a review of one or more criteria for high-risk flag inactivation (more than minimal documentation; n = 126, 56.3%). Flag inactivation documentation was not associated with patient or facility characteristics. Veterans with minimal documentation (vs. more than minimal) were more likely to have a suicide attempt after flag inactivation (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 2.20; 95% CI [1.01, 4.78]; p = .046). Findings suggest a need to better understand flag inactivation procedures in place and to develop a set of standardized procedures to reduce risk of premature high-risk flag inactivation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Informing measurement of gender differences in suicide risk and resilience: A national study of United States military veterans.

OBJECTIVE: To inform measure selection when examining gender differences in suicide risk, this paper evaluates measure performance for a set of gender-relevant constructs and examines gender differences in mean scores. METHODS: A national sample of veterans (n = 968) who had recently attempted suicide (past 6 months) completed measures assessing life experience-, psychosocial-, and health-related constructs. A multigroup latent variable model was used to assess similarity of measurement properties between women and men. RESULTS: Metric and scalar invariance indicated that the latent variables functioned similarly between women and men. Women had higher scores on negative coping, institutional betrayal, and social rejection; men had higher scores on self-compassion, autonomy, and suicide ideation. CONCLUSIONS: Measurement properties and gender differences in mean values support the use of these measures for research on gender differences. Findings also suggest further investigation of social rejection, institutional betrayal, and negative coping among women veterans at risk for suicide.

Gender Differences in Recovery Needs After a Suicide Attempt: A National Qualitative Study of US Military Veterans.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate after-care for the estimated 1.4 million people with nonfatal suicide attempts each year in the United States is critical, yet little research has focused on recovery needs after an attempt and whether important gender differences in those needs may exist. In this study, we examined gender differences in recovery needs after a suicide attempt among a national sample of women and men veterans. METHODS: We interviewed 25 women and 25 men veterans from Veterans Health Administration health care systems across the country. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a demographically and clinically diverse sample. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Although some recovery topics were similar between genders, the participants' primary recovery needs, or goals, differed by gender. Women focused on developing connections with others and wanted to increase their self-knowledge and self-worth. Men were focused on trying to live up to their ideal selves by living and doing "right." Men also wanted to feel like they were needed by others. Both women and men also wanted to feel a stronger sense of purpose in their lives. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that recovery needs among veterans after a nonfatal suicide attempt vary by gender: women may benefit more from psychoeducational approaches in group settings with other women, whereas men may benefit more from approaches that help them focus on making changes in their lives towards becoming their ideal selves.

Gender differences in the development of suicidal behavior among United States military veterans: A national qualitative study.

RATIONALE: The rate of suicide mortality among women is increasing in the United States (U.S.), especially among military veterans. Prior research suggests that important gender differences in suicide risk exist, but not enough is known to tailor prevention approaches by gender. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study is to understand gender differences in the development of suicidal behaviors (suicide risk) among U.S. veterans to inform future research and gender-tailored prevention efforts. METHODS: Using a modified grounded theory approach, this qualitative study interviewed 50 (25 men, 25 women) U.S. veterans who had made a recent (prior 6 months) suicide attempt. Veterans were recruited from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare facilities across the U.S. Semi-structured, hour-long interviews examined participants' experiences with military service, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and healthcare following their attempt. RESULTS: The analysis revealed two gendered narratives of suicidal thoughts and attempts that incorporated the primary themes of self-concept, social power, relationships, coping, and stress. When discussing reasons for their suicide attempts, women discussed negative self-evaluative processes describing themselves as, "shameful," "tainted," and "worthless," whereas men discussed becoming overwhelmed, and recalled thinking, "it just wasn't worth it," "I've had enough," and, "screw this." CONCLUSIONS: This study provides an in-depth, nuanced understanding of the gender differences in suicide risk among veterans and suggests several ways in which future work may address gender-tailored suicide prevention efforts. Specifically, women veterans may benefit from methods to increase self-worth through positive social relationships, while men veterans may benefit from methods that increase their sense of purpose in life and help them achieve their ideal selves through successful experiences.