Table 3.
Associations of socio-demographic and Army service characteristics, pre-deployment perceived unit cohesion, and deployment stress exposure with 30-day suicidal ideation at 3 or 9 months post-deployment
| Full sample (n=4645) | Subsample without lifetime SI at T0 (n=4119) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOR | 95% CI | χ2 | p | AOR | 95% CI | χ2 | p | |
| Age | 0.99 | 0.97–1.01 | 1.09 | .30 | 0.98 | 0.96–1.02 | 1.00 | .32 |
| Sex | 4.62 | .03 | 0.82 | .36 | ||||
| Female | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| Male | 0.56 | 0.33–0.95 | 0.72 | 0.36–1.46 | ||||
| Race | 1.61 | .66 | 2.36 | .50 | ||||
| White | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| Black | 0.99 | 0.65–1.52 | 1.01 | 0.64–1.57 | ||||
| Asian | 1.15 | 0.60–2.21 | 1.07 | 0.52–2.21 | ||||
| Other | 1.23 | 0.87–1.75 | 1.45 | 0.88–2.38 | ||||
| Ethnicity | 0.04 | .85 | 0.01 | .93 | ||||
| Non-Hispanic | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| Hispanic | 1.04 | 0.70–1.54 | 1.02 | 0.64–1.63 | ||||
| Brigade Combat Team | 0.66 | .72 | 0.20 | .90 | ||||
| Fort #1 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| Fort #2 | 0.94 | 0.71–1.24 | 0.92 | 0.65–1.31 | ||||
| Fort #3 | 1.05 | 0.79–1.41 | 0.97 | 0.68–1.38 | ||||
| Prior deployments | 0.16 | 0.93 | 0.24 | .89 | ||||
| Zero | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||
| One | 1.04 | 0.81–1.32 | 1.09 | 0.76–1.55 | ||||
| Two or more | 1.05 | 0.79–1.40 | 1.07 | 0.74–1.56 | ||||
| Time in Unit | 2.28 | .32 | 6.46 | .04 | ||||
| >6 months | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| <1 month | 1.31 | 0.81–2.12 | 2.07 | 1.17–3.66 | ||||
| 1–6 months | 0.89 | 0.68–1.16 | 1.05 | 0.73–1.49 | ||||
| Lifetime suicidal ideation at T0 | 5.04 | 3.99–6.36 | 184.90 | <.0005 | ||||
| 30-day suicidal ideation at T01 | 2.57 | 1.37–4.82 | ||||||
| Deployment Stress | 9.13 | .003 | 6.74 | .009 | ||||
| Low/moderate | 1.00 | 1.00 | ||||||
| High | 1.50 | 1.15–1.94 | 1.56 | 1.12–2.19 | ||||
| Unit cohesion (standardized) | 0.80 | 0.71–0.90 | 13.48 | <.0005 | 0.72 | 0.63–0.81 | 26.82 | <.0005 |
Note. Weights-adjusted logistic regression was performed to estimate the association of unit cohesion with 30-day suicidal ideation at 3 or 9 months post-deployment (T2 or T3) among soldiers who completed surveys at all four waves (T0, T1, T2, and T3) of the Pre/Post Deployment Study (“full longitudinal sample”). A separate logistic regression model estimated the association of unit cohesion with incident suicidal ideation at T2 or T3; this model was tested within the subsample of soldiers without pre-deployment lifetime suicidal ideation. Deployment stress was measured at T1 (within 1 month of return from deployment). Other predictors were assessed at T0 (1–2 months before deployment).
By definition, all respondents with 30-day suicidal ideation at T0 also had lifetime suicidal ideation at T0. The adjusted odds of suicidal ideation at T2 or T3 for those with 30-day suicidal ideation at T0 are thus equal to 5.04 × 2.57 = 12.95. The adjusted odds of suicidal ideation at T2 or T3 for those with lifetime but not 30-day suicidal ideation at T0 are 5.04.