Citation

Kleespies PM, AhnAllen CG, Knight JA, Presskreischer B, Barrs KL, Boyd BL, Dennis JP. Psychol. Serv. 2011; 8(3): 236-250.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Educational Publishing Foundation)

DOI

10.1037/a0024881

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This patient safety improvement study was conducted (1) to establish a database of intentional patient self-injuries and suicidal behavior among veterans in a large urban VA health care system, and (2) to investigate whether there were demographic and/or clinical characteristics of veterans who self-injure that might predict seriousness of suicidal intent and aid in future efforts at prevention. A total of 175 clinician-administered, post self-injury interviews were completed between 2006 and 2008 in a VA health care system in the Northeast.

FINDINGS suggest that self-injuries with high suicidal intent were characterized by male gender, older age, planning of self-injury, no wish to be saved, and a negative feeling about having survived. Additional results indicated that staff ratings of patient intent to die were significantly lower than patient self-rated intent to die, a finding that gives rise to questions of whether staff may tend to underestimate patient suicidal intent. Also, although more than 80% of the veterans in this sample considered their self-injurious actions impulsive, planning of self-injury was significantly associated with higher intent to die. Veterans who completed suicide during the study time period were significantly more likely than those who had nonfatal self-injuries to have experienced combat. The implications of these findings are discussed, including whether combat exposure may lead to an acquired capacity for lethal behaviors such as suicide (Joiner, 2005). © 2011 American Psychological Association.

Language: en

Keywords

Suicide; Suicidal behavior; Self-harm; Self-injury; Veterans and self-injury