Veteran Suicide Exposure: Associations with Guilt, PTSD, and Suicidality

Veterans commit suicide at a rate 1.5 times greater than their non-veteran civilian counterparts. Not only is this a public health concern due to the substantial loss of life, but because of the impact on suicide survivors. Research indicates exposure to suicide by others is related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, anxiety, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidality (in the form of suicidal thoughts and behaviors). The present study uses self-report survey data from 186 Post-9/11 veterans of Iraq and/or Afghanistan, who were recruited as part of a larger study, to expand on this research to evaluate whether there is a cumulative effect such that knowing more others who have died by suicide increases veterans’ guilt, PTSD symptoms, and suicidality. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that, as hypothesized, the more comrades a veteran or active service member has lost to suicide, the greater PTSD symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors they reported, above and beyond that predicted by combat casualty experiences. Further, no evidence of habituation to suicide exposure was found. The results illustrate that the alarming rise in veteran suicide in the Post-9/11 era may be a self-compounding problem that needs greater attention, such as addressing PTSD and guilt, to reverse the trend.