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iDEA: DREXEL LIBRARIES E-REPOSITORY AND ARCHIVES

iDEA: DREXEL LIBRARIES E-REPOSITORY AND ARCHIVES

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Social Problem Solving as a Moderator of Moral Injury and Suicidal Behaviors in Combat Veterans

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Title
Social Problem Solving as a Moderator of Moral Injury and Suicidal Behaviors in Combat Veterans
Author(s)
Johnson, Lauren Brittany
Advisor(s)
Nezu, Arthur M.
Keywords
Psychology; Veterans--Psychology; Suicidal behavior; Problem solving--Psychology
Date
2018-05
Publisher
Drexel University
Thesis
M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 2018
Abstract
The rise in suicide risk among military service members and veterans, specifically those involved in the recent Middle East conflicts, is increasingly recognized as a significant public health concern. In response to these trends, empirical investigation into specific factors that contribute to suicidal behaviors within this demographic remain imperative. Within military populations, both moral injury (MI) and social problem-solving (SPS) abilities have been independently linked to suicidality. To date, no research has investigated the relationship between MI and SPS, or how they interact to affect suicidal behaviors. The present study aimed to replicate previous findings related to MI/SPS and suicidal behaviors, in addition to determining whether SPS moderates the relationship between MI and current suicide ideation. A sample of 200 combat veterans completed an online survey that included a demographics questionnaire and the following validated self-report measures: Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version, Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Short Form, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, and Posttraumatic Checklist for DSM-5. As expected, MI and SPS were both found to be significantly associated with current suicide ideation. Also, as predicted, the results suggest the moderating role of SPS between moral injury and current suicide ideation. When participants reported high levels of moral injury, "effective problem solvers" (i.e., +1 SD above sample mean), experienced significantly lower levels of suicide ideation compared to their “ineffective problem solver” counterparts. Currently, there are few evidence-based treatments that have been shown to be effective in targeting the symptoms of moral injury to decrease suicide risk. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential importance of adaptive social problem-solving abilities in decreasing suicidal behaviors in individuals with moral injury and provides the preliminary rationale for utilizing an Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy (EC-PST) treatment approach. Future research that evaluates the efficacy of EC-PST, which focuses on adaptive social problem-solving and emotional regulatory skill building, could provide evidence for the use of this intervention in veterans with moral injury at increased risk for suicide.
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/1860/idea:7901
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