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Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender individuals (LGBT) are at high risk for suicide. This study aimed to examine an integrative psychological model of risk factors among LGBT individuals and explore the psychological pathways connecting social stigma, mental pain, and interpersonal characteristics to suicidal ideation and behavior (SIB) in this population. LGBT adults (N = 473) responded to an online questionnaire about stigma, mental pain, interpersonal characteristics, as well as suicidal ideation and behaviors. We found group differences between LGBT respondents in the study variables: Transgender people reported the highest levels of SIB and depression, closely followed by bisexuals. The association between stigma-related variables and SIB was mediated by depression, entrapment, and perceived burdensomeness. These results highlight the role of entrapment and burdensomeness in facilitating suicide risk among LGBT adults, as they may increase the damaging effect of negative societal stigma against LGBTs and thus, elevate the suicide risk in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Perpetrating or witnessing acts that violate one's moral code are frequent among military personnel and active combatants. These events, termed potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs), were found to be associated with an increased risk of depression, in cross-sectional studies. However, the longitudinal contribution of PMIEs to depression among combatants remains unclear. Method: Participants were 374 active-duty combatants who participated in a longitudinal study with four measurement points: T1-one year before enlistment, T2-at discharge from army service, and then again 6- and 12-months following discharge (T3 and T4, respectively). At T1, personal characteristics assessed through semi-structured interviews. At T2-T4, PMIEs and depressive symptoms were assessed. Results: At discharge (T2), a total of 48.7% of combatants reported experiencing PMIEs incident, compared with 42.4% at T3 and 30.7% at T4. We found a significant interaction effect in which combatants endorsing PMIEs at discharge reported higher severity of depression symptoms at discharge (T2) than combatants who reported no PMIEs. This effect decreased over time as depression levels were lower at T3 and T4. Conclusions: PMIE experiences, and especially PMIE-Betrayal experiences, were found to be valid predictors of higher severity of depression symptoms after the first year following discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding mental health professionals' (MHPs) willingness to treat suicidal older adults is critical in preventative psychotherapy. We examined the effect of a hypothetical patient's age and suicide severity on MHPs' willingness to treat or refer them to another therapist. Vignettes of hypothetical patients were presented to 368 MHPs aged 24-72 years. The vignettes had two age conditions (young/old) and three suicidality severity conditions. MHPs completed measures of their levels of willingness to treat/likeliness to refer and their levels of ageism. As suicide severity intensified, MHPs were less willing to treat and more likely to refer. Willingness to treat was the lowest for the old/suicide attempt condition. Ageism moderated the relationships between patient age and willingness to treat: MHPs with higher ageism were less willing to treat older than younger patients, regardless of suicidality severity. Findings indicate that MHPs with higher ageism levels are more reluctant to treat older suicidal patients and highlight the need for training MHPs to reduce ageism and enhance competence in suicide interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study addresses the suicide risk predicting challenge by exploring the predictive ability of machine learning (ML) models integrated with theory‐driven psychological risk factors in real‐time crisis hotline chats. More importantly, we aimed to understand the specific theory‐driven factors contributing to the ML prediction of suicide risk. Method: The dataset consisted of 17,654 crisis hotline chat sessions classified dichotomously as suicidal or not. We created a suicide risk factors‐based lexicon (SRF), which encompasses language representations of key risk factors derived from the main suicide theories. The ML model (Suicide Risk‐Bert; SR‐BERT) was trained using natural language processing techniques incorporating the SRF lexicon. Results: The results showed that SR‐BERT outperformed the other models. Logistic regression analysis identified several theory‐driven risk factors significantly associated with suicide risk, the prominent ones were hopelessness, history of suicide, self‐harm, and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The lexicon is limited in its ability to fully encompass all theoretical concepts related to suicide risk, nor to all the language expressions of each concept. The classification of chats was determined by trained but non‐professionals in metal health. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential of how ML models combined with theory‐driven knowledge can improve suicide risk prediction. Our study underscores the importance of hopelessness and thwarted belongingness in suicide risk and thus their role in suicide prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of newspaper coverage of suicide events can impact suicide risk. Thus, the World Health Organization published recommendations for reporting suicide in the media. To date, Israel has no data regarding adherence to these media guidelines and no indication of the influence of the Israeli National Suicide Prevention Program (NSPP) on adherence. Aiming to fill these gaps, the current study examined (1) Israeli newspapers' adherence to the guidelines for suicide coverage and (2) the impact of the NSPP on the adherence level of media reporting. Adherence to newspapers coverage guidelines was examined in two leading Israeli newspapers at three time points: T1 (2012, two years before the NSPP's establishment), T2 (2016–2017, 2–3 years after its establishment), and T3 (2018–2019, 4–5 years after NSPP's establishment). All articles reporting on suicide or suicidal behavior were analyzed at each time point regarding their adherence to the media guidelines. Two hundred articles were assessed and analyzed. The adherence level was 49.35% across all time points. We found improved adherence at T2 (after the initiation of the NSPP) in most of the guidelines but a slight decline at T3. Adherence to guidelines regarding prevention (Do guidelines) showed no significant improvement over time. General adherence to guidelines was relatively low. However, steps can be taken to improve media coverage of suicide stories. The NSPP should make greater efforts to promote changes in media coverage of suicide events in Israel, such as providing information about risk factors, prevention, and intervention. A longitudinal study examined Israeli newspapers over three time points in the last decade. General adherence level to the suicide coverage guidelines was 49.35% across all time points. The National Suicide Prevention Program was linked to improvement in adherence to most guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs) during military service is associated with mental health problems. However, knowledge about these associations and possible mechanisms of effect among female combat veterans is sparse. This study examines associations between PMIEs, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms among female veterans, as well as the mediating role of disruption in assumptive world and moral injury (MI) symptoms. A volunteer sample of Israeli female combat veterans (n = 885) and non‐combat veterans (n = 728) responded to self‐report questionnaires in a cross‐sectional design study. Results show that combat veterans reported higher levels of PMIEs, PTSD and MI symptoms, but not CPTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms, as compared to non‐combat veterans. Importantly, PMIEs was indirectly associated with PTSD, complex PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms through serial mediators of disruption in assumptive world and MI symptoms. This study emphasized the exposure to PMIEs and its posttraumatic sequelae among female combat veterans as compared to non‐combat veterans. Our findings also suggest that future longitudinal studies should examine the mediating role of disruption in assumptive world and MI symptoms for the deleterious effects of exposure to PMIEs during military service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide‐loss survivors (SLSs) are recognized as an at‐risk population for several mental health complications, including complicated grief (CG) and depression. Recent studies have emphasized the contribution of interpersonal factors as well as suicide‐related shame and guilt as facilitators of CG and depression among SLSs. In this 6 year longitudinal design study, we examined interpersonal variables as predictors of CG and depression, with suicide‐related guilt and shame as mediators. Method: Participants were 152 SLSs aged 18–70 who completed questionnaires assessing thwarted belongingness, self‐disclosure, and social support at index measurement (T1); suicide‐related shame and guilt and CG and depression were assessed 6 years later (T2). Results: The integrated model revealed that the interpersonal factors of social support and self‐disclosure at T1 significantly and negatively predict CG and depression (respectively) at T2. Thwarted belongingness was found to significantly and positively predict both CG and depression through the mediation of suicide‐related shame levels. Conclusion: The findings highlight the critical role of interpersonal factors in facilitating CG and depression among SLSs. Theoretical implications relating to healing processes are discussed, as well as focused clinical recommendations, including psychoeducational interventions for addressing interpersonal difficulties and suicide‐related shame in the aftermath of suicide loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]