title: The Influence of Training, Reluctance, Efficacy, and Stigma on Suicide Intervention Behavior Among NCOs in the Army and Marine Corps.
abstract: The Army and Marine Corps have consistently experienced the highest rates of suicide relative to the other services. In both the Army and Marine Corps, the service members responsible for identifying and referring individuals at risk for suicide are called "gatekeepers" and are typically noncommissioned officers (NCOs). We used structural equation modeling on survey responses from 1184 Army soldiers and 796 marines to estimate the relationships between training, intervention efficacy, reluctance, and mental health stigma on NCO intervention behaviors. Efficacy and reluctance were independently associated with intervention behaviors, and stigma was only associated with intervention behaviors among Army NCOs. Study results suggest that while quantity of training may help NCOs feel more confident about their ability to intervene, other efforts such as changing training content and delivery mode (e.g., interactive vs. didactic training) may be necessary in order to reduce reluctance and stigma to intervene with service members at risk for suicide.
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA, 22202-5050, USA.
authors.forename: Lynsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ayer
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA, 22202-5050, USA. Ramchand@rand.org.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramchand
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA, 22202-5050, USA.
authors.forename: Lily
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Geyer
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA, 22202-5050, USA.
authors.forename: Lane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burgette
authors.affiliation: RAND Corporation, 1200 South Hayes Street, Arlington, VA, 22202-5050, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kofner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D057545:Social Stigma; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide
keywords: Gatekeeper; Military; Stigma; Suicide