Abstract
Suicide in the military is a growing concern. The
interpersonal-psychological theory of suicidal behavior proposes that an
individual will not die by suicide unless he or she experiences a
combined disconnection from others, feelings that one is a burden on
others, and the ability to do so, but this theory has not yet been
rigorously tested with military samples. The current study tested the
theory's hypotheses in predicting history of suicide in a sample of 88
active duty US Air Force personnel, which was compared to a non-military undergraduate sample (n = 309) and a non-military clinical sample (n =
228). Active duty personnel demonstrated higher acquired capability when
compared to a clinical non-military sample. As compared to non-military
undergraduates, active duty personnel demonstrated less perceived
burdensomeness. but did not differ in terms of thwarted belongingness.
The interaction of burdensomeness and acquired capability significantly
predicted suicidal history, but the three-way interaction between
burdensomeness, belongingness, and acquired capability did not,
providing partial support for the theory in a military sample. (C) 2009
Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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