Predictors of Suicide and Accident Death in the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS)

TLDR

The Army STARRS study was designed to generate actionable recommendations to reduce Army suicides and to map prevalence, trends, and sociodemographic and Army‑experience correlates of suicides and accident deaths among Regular Army soldiers from 2004 to 2009, laying a foundation for future research. The study analyzed trends and predictors of suicide and accident deaths by examining all Regular Army members who served between 2004 and 2009 using Army and Department of Defense administrative data. Suicide rates increased from 2004 to 2009 among both deployed and never‑deployed soldiers, while accident death rates fell among deployed but rose among never‑deployed; risk factors included male gender (or female during deployment), white ethnicity, junior enlisted rank, recent demotion, and deployment status, with predictors largely mirroring civilian patterns but also revealing Army‑specific elements, and the observed trends suggest factors beyond combat exposure drive the suicide rise.

Abstract

The Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) is a multicomponent study designed to generate actionable recommendations to reduce Army suicides and increase knowledge of risk and resilience factors for suicidality.To present data on prevalence, trends, and basic sociodemographic and Army experience correlates of suicides and accident deaths among active duty Regular Army soldiers between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2009, and thereby establish a foundation for future Army STARRS investigations.Analysis of trends and predictors of suicide and accident deaths using Army and Department of Defense administrative data systems. Participants were all members of the US Regular Army serving at any time between 2004 and 2009.Death by suicide or accident during active Army service.The suicide rate rose between 2004 and 2009 among never deployed and currently and previously deployed Regular Army soldiers. The accident death rate fell sharply among currently deployed soldiers, remained constant among the previously deployed, and trended upward among the never deployed. Increased suicide risk was associated with being a man (or a woman during deployment), white race/ethnicity, junior enlisted rank, recent demotion, and current or previous deployment. Sociodemographic and Army experience predictors were generally similar for suicides and accident deaths. Time trends in these predictors and in the Army's increased use of accession waivers (which relaxed some qualifications for new soldiers) do not explain the rise in Army suicides.Predictors of Army suicides were largely similar to those reported elsewhere for civilians, although some predictors distinct to Army service emerged that deserve more in-depth analysis. The existence of a time trend in suicide risk among never-deployed soldiers argues indirectly against the view that exposure to combat-related trauma is the exclusive cause of the increase in Army suicides.