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Emotional Regulation of Mental Pain as Moderator of Suicidal Ideation in Military Settings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2015

L. Shelef ,
E. Fruchter ,
A. Hassidim  and
G. Zalsman
L. Shelef
Affiliation:
Mental Health Unit, Medical Corps-Israel Defense Forces, Israel
E. Fruchter
Affiliation:
Mental Health Unit, Medical Corps-Israel Defense Forces, Israel
A. Hassidim
Affiliation:
Medical Corps-Israel Defense Forces, Israel
G. Zalsman*
Affiliation:
Child and Adolescent Division, Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tikva, Israel Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, Psychiatry Department, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
*
*Corresponding author. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Geha Mental Health Center, Tel Aviv University, PO Box 102, Petach Tiqwa 49100, Israel. Tel.: +972 3 92 58 205; fax: +972 3 92 41 041. E-mail address: [email protected] (G. Zalsman).
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Abstract

Background

In the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as well as in most armies throughout the world, the leading cause of death during peace-time is suicide. This study examines emotional regulation of mental pain as a contributor to suicidal ideation in soldiers.

Methods

One hundred sixty-eight IDF soldiers (aged 18–21 years, 59% males) completed the following self-report questionnaires: Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI); Orbach & Mikulincer Mental Pain Scale (OMMP); and Emotional Regulation of Mental Pain questionnaire. Participants were divided into 3 groups: soldiers who attempted suicide (AS group, n = 58), soldiers under treatment by a mental health professional and reporting no suicidal behavior (PT group, n = 58), and controls (C group, n = 50).

Results

Suicide ideation, mental pain, and low emotional regulation were significantly higher in the suicidal group as compared to the two other groups (P < 0.001). Mental pain was significantly related to more suicide ideation in soldiers with low ability to regulate mental pain (P < .001 for the interaction).

Conclusion

Emotional regulation of mental pain moderates the link between mental pain and suicide ideation. Soldiers with high mental pain and low regulation of mental pain exhibited higher suicidal ideation. These findings may assist in planning prevention programs in the army and similar settings.

Keywords

Suicide attemptArmyMilitaryMental painDisruptive mood dysregulation disorderSuicide ideation
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 30 , Issue 6 , September 2015 , pp. 765 - 769
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2015

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