The Associations of Physical and Sexual Assault with Suicide Risk in Nonclinical Military and Undergraduate Samples

• Published in: Suicide & life-threatening behavior 2013-04, Vol.43 (2), p.223-234
• Main Authors: Bryan, Craig J., McNaugton-Cassill, Mary, Osman, Augustine, Hernandez, Ann Marie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety; Assaults; Biological and medical sciences; Child Abuse; College students; Correlation; Crime Victims - psychology; Emotional Disturbances; Female; Humans; Male; Measures (Individuals); Medical sciences; Military Personnel; Military Personnel - psychology; Military schools; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Rape; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Self Report; Sex crimes; Sex Offenses - classification; Sex Offenses - psychology; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted; Suicides & suicide attempts; Surveys; Undergraduate Students; United States; United States (South); Violence; Violence - classification; Violence - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0363-0234; 1943-278X
• DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12011

The associations of various forms of sexual and physical assault with a history of suicide attempts and recent suicide ideation were studied in two distinct samples: active duty military and undergraduate students. A total of 273 active duty Air Force personnel and 309 undergraduate students anonymously completed self‐report surveys of assault victimization, emotional distress, belongingness, recent suicide ideation, and previous suicide attempts. Among military personnel, rape, robbery, or violent assault was associated with a nonsignificant trend toward increased risk for suicide attempts, whereas physical abuse or battering as an adult was significantly associated with recent suicide ideation. Among undergraduates, unwanted sexual experiences as an adult and physical or sexual abuse as a child were significantly associated with increased risk for suicide attempt, but only unwanted experiences as an adult was significantly associated with increased risk for suicide ideation. Experiencing multiple forms of assault increased risk for suicide attempts and ideation in both groups. Results suggest that different types of assault contribute differentially to suicide risk in military versus undergraduate populations, but experiencing multiple types of assault is associated with increased risk in both groups.