Suicide Among Regular-Duty Military Personnel: A Retrospective Case-Control Study of Occupation-Specific Risk Factors for Workplace Suicide

Abstract

Occupation influences suicide method. Access to and opportunity to use lethal means in the workplace are distinct but related occupation-specific suicide risk factors in the military and in other at-risk professions. In professions where access to lethal means is inevitable, moderating opportunity for suicide is crucially important. In regular-duty military personnel, a medical downgrading, combined with risk factors established in civilians such as younger age, male gender, psychiatric illness, and past self-harm, increases the risk of suicide. The findings may be used to guide military harm-reduction strategies and have applicability in strategies for other professions at risk for workplace suicide.