title: The contribution of the socio-demographic characteristics on suicidal ideation among Israeli soldiers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicidal ideation is a risk factor for suicide attempt. The aim of the present study is to compare suicidal ideation of different groups with different distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  100 soldiers, aged 18-21, divided into four research cohorts: soldiers who had carried out a suicide attempt (n = 40); soldiers with a psychiatric diagnosis (n = 20); soldiers having high severity adjustment difficulties (n = 20); and a control group of soldiers, having neither a history of mental health diagnosis, nor adjustment difficulties (n = 20). All completed the suicide ideation scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Half of the attempters had a psychiatric diagnosis (depression or anxiety) on the day of their enlistment and 37.5 % of them had a specified personality disturbance. The attempters were characterized by previously-attempted suicide (p < .01). The lowest mean values (M= 1.95,SD= .67) were among the attempter (F = 3.173, df = 3, p = .02) in motivation for military service. The variable expressing low motivation for military service was the sole predictor of suicide ideation (p = .032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis facilitated better monitoring by military mental health officers.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Branch, Israel Air Force, Ramat-Gan, Israel.|Mental Health Department, Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shelef
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Department, Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Evyatar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ayzen
authors.affiliation: IDF Medical Corps, Israel Defense Forces, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Nirit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yavnai
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Department, Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fruchter
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: Orly
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sarid
keywords: Severity adjustment difficulties; Soldiers; Suicidal ideation; Suicide attempters