scholarly journals Suicidal Ideation, Suicidal Attempts, and Self‐Harm in the UK Armed Forces

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1762-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Jones ◽  
Marie‐Louise Sharp ◽  
Ava Phillips ◽  
Sharon A. M. Stevelink
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Suicidal Attempts ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Uk

scholarly journals Self-harm and attempted suicide among UK Armed Forces personnel: Results of a cross-sectional survey

2011 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 433-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Pinder ◽  
Amy C. Iversen ◽  
Nav Kapur ◽  
Simon Wessely ◽  
Nicola T. Fear
Keyword(s):  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Psychological Morbidity ◽  
Lifetime Prevalence ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Military Health ◽  
Service Personnel ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Uk

Aims: Little has been reported on self-harm among the UK Armed Forces, partly due to the difficulties in recording self-harm, within an often-difficult-to-reach population. This study assesses the lifetime prevalence of attempted suicide and self-harm within currently serving and ex-service personnel of the UK Armed Forces. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 821 personnel who had previously participated in the King’s Centre for Military Health Research military health study. Within the telephone interview, participants were asked about attempted suicide and episodes of self-harm. Results: A lifetime prevalence of 5.6% for intentional self-harm (self-harm or attempted suicide) was reported. Intentional self-harm was associated with psychological morbidity (in particular, post-traumatic stress disorder) and adverse experiences in childhood. Ex-service personnel reported lifetime prevalence more than double that of serving personnel (10.5% vs 4.2%, respectively). Participants reporting intentional self-harm were younger (34.4 years vs 39.8 years). Conclusion: A lifetime prevalence of 5.6% for attempted suicide and self-harm is higher than previous research has suggested. Younger service personnel, those who have experienced adversity in childhood, those with other psychological morbidity, and ex-service personnel are more likely to report self-harm behaviours.

scholarly journals Is Google Trends a useful tool for tracking mental and social distress during a public health emergency? A time-series analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duleeka Knipe ◽  
David Gunnell ◽  
Hannah Evans ◽  
Ann John ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Population Mental Health ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Uk

AbstractBackgroundGoogle Trends data are increasingly used by researchers as an indicator of population mental health, but few studies have investigated the validity of this approach.MethodsRelative search volumes (RSV) for the topics depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicide, suicidal ideation, loneliness, and abuse were obtained from Google Trends. We used graphical and time-series approaches to compare daily trends in searches for these topics against population measures of these outcomes recorded using validated scales (PHQ-9; GAD-7; UCLA-3) in a weekly survey (n=∼70,000) of the impact COVID-19 on psychological and social experiences in the UK population (12/03/2020 to 21/08/ 2020).ResultsSelf-reported levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-harm, loneliness and abuse decreased during the period studied. There was no evidence of an association between self-reported anxiety, self-harm, abuse and RSV on Google Trends. Trends in reported depression symptoms and suicidal ideation declined over the study period, whereas Google topic RSV increased (p=0.03 and p=0.04 respectively). There was some evidence that suicidal ideation searches preceded reported self-harm (p=0.05), but graphical evidence suggested this was an inverse association. However, there was statistical and graphical evidence that self-report and Google searches for loneliness (p<0.001) tracked one another.LimitationsNo age/sex breakdown of Google Trends data are available. Survey respondents were not representative of the UK population and no pre-pandemic data were available.ConclusionGoogle Trends data do not appear to be a useful indicator of changing levels of population mental health during a public health emergency, but may have some value as an indicator of loneliness.

scholarly journals Abuse, self-harm and suicidal ideation in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 217 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora Iob ◽  
Andrew Steptoe ◽  
Daisy Fancourt
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Social Study ◽  
Common Type ◽  
Informal Support ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Patterns Of Abuse ◽  
Minority Ethnic

SummaryThis study explored patterns of abuse, self-harm and thoughts of suicide/self-harm in the UK during the first month of the COVID-19 pandemic using data from the COVID-19 Social Study (n=44 775), a non-probability sample weighted to population proportions. The reported frequency of abuse, self-harm and thoughts of suicide/self-harm was higher among women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, unemployment, disability, chronic physical illnesses, mental disorders and COVID-19 diagnosis. Psychiatric medications were the most common type of support being used, but fewer than half of those affected were accessing formal or informal support.

scholarly journals Do Junior Entrants to the UK Armed Forces have worse outcomes than Standard Entrants?

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2021-001787
Author(s):  
Margaret Jones ◽  
N Jones ◽  
H Burdett ◽  
B P Bergman ◽  
N T Fear ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Alcohol Misuse ◽  
Common Mental Disorders ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adult Service ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
The Uk

IntroductionThe UK is the only permanent member of the UN Security Council that has a policy of recruiting 16 and 17 year old individuals into its regular Armed Forces. Little is known about the consequences of enlisting as a Junior Entrant (JE), although concerns have been expressed. We compare the mental health, deployment history, and pre-enlistment and post-enlistment experiences of personnel who had enlisted as JEs with personnel who joined as Standard Entrants (SEs).MethodParticipants from a large UK military cohort study completed a self-report questionnaire between 2014 and 2016 that included symptoms of probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), common mental disorders, alcohol consumption, physical symptoms and lifetime self-harm. Data from regular non-officer participants (n=4447) from all service branches were used in the analysis. JEs were defined as having enlisted before the age of 17.5 years. A subgroup analysis of participants who had joined or commenced adult service after April 2003 was carried out.ResultsJEs were not more likely to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan but were more likely to hold a combat role when they did (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.56). There was no evidence of an increase in symptoms of common mental disorders, PTSD, multiple somatic symptoms (MSS), alcohol misuse or self-harm in JEs in the full sample, but there was an increase in alcohol misuse (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.18 to 2.87), MSS (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.20) and self-harm (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.95) in JEs who had commenced adult service after April 2003. JEs remain in adult service for longer and do not have more difficulties when they leave service.ConclusionsJEs do not have worse mental health than SEs, but there is uncertainty in relation to alcohol misuse, MSS and self-harm in more recent joiners. Monitoring these concerns is advisable.

Attachment Organization in Suicide Prevention Research

Crisis ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Venta ◽  
Carla Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Suicide Attempt ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Suicide Ideation ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self Harm

Background: Identifying risk factors for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (SRTB) is essential among adolescents in whom SRTB remain a leading cause of death. Although many risk factors have already been identified, influential theories now suggest that the domain of interpersonal relationships may play a critical role in the emergence of SRTB. Because attachment has long been seen as the foundation of interpersonal functioning, we suggest that attachment insecurity warrants attention as a risk factor for SRTB. Aims: This study sought to explore relations between attachment organization and suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm in an inpatient adolescent sample, controlling for demographic and psychopathological covariates. Method: We recruited 194 adolescents from an inpatient unit and assigned them to one of four attachment groups (secure, preoccupied, dismissing, or disorganized attachment). Interview and self-report measures were used to create four variables reflecting the presence or absence of suicidal ideation in the last year, single lifetime suicide attempt, multiple lifetime suicide attempts, and lifetime self-harm. Results: Chi-square and regression analyses did not reveal significant relations between attachment organization and SRTB, although findings did confirm previously established relations between psychopathology and SRTB, such that internalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt and externalizing disorder was associated with increased self-harm. Conclusion: The severity of this sample and methodological differences from previous studies may explain the nonsignificant findings. Nonsignificant findings may indicate that the relation between attachment organization and SRTB is moderated by other factors that should be explored in future research.

The Role of Perfectionism and Autobiographical Memory in a Sample of Parasuicide Patients

Crisis ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. Rasmussen ◽  
Rory C. O’Connor ◽  
Dallas Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Overgeneral Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Socially Prescribed Perfectionism ◽  
Hopelessness Depression ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
First Time

The main objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between social perfectionism, overgeneral autobiographical memory recall, and psychological distress (hopelessness, depression/anxiety, and suicidal ideation) in a sample of parasuicide patients. Forty patients who had been admitted to a Scottish hospital following an episode of deliberate self-harm participated in the study. The participants completed the autobiographical memory task and a battery of self-report measures (multidimensional perfectionism, hopelessness, depression/anxiety, and suicidal ideation). The results showed that repetitive self-harmers were more overgeneral in their recall of positive autobiographical memories than were first-time self-harmers. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that socially prescribed perfectionism interacted with overgeneral recall of both positive and negative memories to predict suicidal ideation/depression. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research.

Ethnic Differences in Self-Poisoning Across South London

Crisis ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-272
Author(s):  
Sean Cross ◽  
Dinesh Bhugra ◽  
Paul I. Dargan ◽  
David M. Wood ◽  
Shaun L. Greene ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
White Women ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Managing Risk ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Incident Cases ◽  
Minority Ethnic

Background: Self-poisoning (overdose) is the commonest form of self-harm cases presenting to acute secondary care services in the UK, where there has been limited investigation of self-harm in black and minority ethnic communities. London has the UK’s most ethnically diverse areas but presents challenges in resident-based data collection due to the large number of hospitals. Aims: To investigate the rates and characteristics of self-poisoning presentations in two central London boroughs. Method: All incident cases of self-poisoning presentations of residents of Lambeth and Southwark were identified over a 12-month period through comprehensive acute and mental health trust data collection systems at multiple hospitals. Analysis was done using STATA 12.1. Results: A rate of 121.4/100,000 was recorded across a population of more than half a million residents. Women exceeded men in all measured ethnic groups. Black women presented 1.5 times more than white women. Gender ratios within ethnicities were marked. Among those aged younger than 24 years, black women were almost 7 times more likely to present than black men were. Conclusion: Self-poisoning is the commonest form of self-harm presentation to UK hospitals but population-based rates are rare. These results have implications for formulating and managing risk in clinical services for both minority ethnic women and men.

Contrasting Broad- and Clinically- defined Polygenic Indicators of Depression and Depression-related Phenotypes in Adults and Children

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. McGeary ◽  
Chelsie Benca-Bachman ◽  
Victoria Risner ◽  
Christopher G Beevers ◽  
Brandon Gibb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Suicidal Ideation ◽  
Cognitive Reappraisal ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Summary Statistics ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Uk Biobank ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
The Uk

Twin studies indicate that 30-40% of the disease liability for depression can be attributed to genetic differences. Here, we assess the explanatory ability of polygenic scores (PGS) based on broad- (PGSBD) and clinical- (PGSMDD) depression summary statistics from the UK Biobank using independent cohorts of adults (N=210; 100% European Ancestry) and children (N=728; 70% European Ancestry) who have been extensively phenotyped for depression and related neurocognitive phenotypes. PGS associations with depression severity and diagnosis were generally modest, and larger in adults than children. Polygenic prediction of depression-related phenotypes was mixed and varied by PGS. Higher PGSBD, in adults, was associated with a higher likelihood of having suicidal ideation, increased brooding and anhedonia, and lower levels of cognitive reappraisal; PGSMDD was positively associated with brooding and negatively related to cognitive reappraisal. Overall, PGS based on both broad and clinical depression phenotypes have modest utility in adult and child samples of depression.

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