Brief Summary:
This study examined whether relationship status and relationship dysfunction were related to Veterans’ self-directed violence (i.e., self-injury, suicidality). 1,049 Veterans self-reported their relationship status (i.e., living together or divorced/separated), relationship dysfunction over the past month, history of self-directed violence (i.e., prior non-suicidal self-injury or suicide attempt), future risk for self-directed violence (i.e., suicidal ideation and likelihood of a future suicide attempt), mental health diagnoses (e.g., depression), and demographics (e.g., age, race). Veterans were compared based on multiple combinations of relationship status and dysfunction. Overall, highly dysfunctional relationships were related to both a history of and future risk for self-directed violence. Being divorced or separated was related to future risk for self-directed violence.
Summary provided by Military REACH at Auburn University
Translating Research Into Practice (TRIP) Report:
Created by our partners at Military REACH at Auburn University, TRIP Reports summarize the key findings and implications of this study to provide actionable insights in accessible language for practitioners, policy makers, and families.
Reference:
Weber, D. M., Halverson, T. F., Daruwala, S. E., Pugh, M. J., Calhoun, P. S., Beckham, J. C., & Kimbrel, N. A. (2023). Love Is Not All You Need: Understanding the Association Between Relationship Status and Relationship Dysfunction With Self-Directed Violence in Veterans. Archives of Suicide Research, 28(3), 844–859. https://doi.org/10.1080/13811118.2023.2237097