Table 2.
Most frequently coded suicide prevention themes*
| In your opinion, what might have prevented the death? | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| NOK (n = 61) | SUP (n = 107) | ||
| % responses present | Theme | % responses present | Theme |
| 29.5 | Receiving treatment, or more/better treatment than soldier was getting | 16.8 | Nothing/inevitable |
| 11.5 | Reduce romantic problems | 15.9 | Soldier should have told someone about problems / accepted help |
| 9.8 | Better military support/attention to soldiers’ problems | 15.0 | Receiving treatment, or more/better treatment than soldier was getting |
| 8.2 | NOK or SUP feels they should have helped soldier more | 14.0 | Don’t know |
| 8.2 | Increased social support | 13.1 | Negative attribute about soldier contributed to suicide |
| 8.2 | Change military policies | 10.3 | Better military support/attention to soldiers’ problems |
| 8.2 | Reduce stigma/career impact of treatment | 8.4 | Increase supervision/monitoring of at-risk soldiers |
| 8.2 | Better transitional care | ||
| Do you have any recommendations about how soldier suicides can be prevented in the future? | |||
| NOK (n = 61) | SUP (n = 107) | ||
| % responses present | Theme | % responses present | Theme |
| 21.3 | Reduce stigma/career impact of seeking treatment | 25.2 | Don’t know |
| 19.7 | Better military support/attention to soldiers’ problems | 22.4 | Better military support/attention to soldiers’ problems |
| 16.4 | Receiving treatment, or more/better treatment than soldier was getting | 14.0 | More suicide prevention training |
| 16.4 | Better transitional care | 14.0 | Receiving treatment, or more/better treatment than soldier was getting |
| 16.4 | Don’t know | 13.1 | Change military policies |
| 8.2 | Change military policies | 11.2 | Reduce stigma/career impact of treatment |
| 8.2 | Increase supervision/monitoring of at-risk soldiers | 8.4 | Other change needed in military culture/environment |
*
Given the large number of themes, only themes coded in at least 8% of responses are included in this table. Full results available in Supplemental Table 3.
Note. Themes are not mutually exclusive and thus percentages are not cumulative. Percentages reflect the number of responses containing mention of the given theme.