Interventions for suicide prevention among current and former military personnel do not appear to be effective, according to a meta-analysis published this week in
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. While additional analyses highlighted some promising interventions, the researchers said these results should be interpreted with caution.
Why It’s Relevant
In 2023, the suicide rate among active members of the U.S. military was twice that of the general population, and suicide is currently the primary cause of death among active-duty soldiers in the U.S. Army. Interventions are urgently needed to reduce suicidal ideation and behaviors among current and former military personnel, but it’s unclear what interventions are effective in this population.
By the Numbers
- Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of suicide interventions in 17 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and seven non-RCTs from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Suicide Prevention Trials Database.
- Overall, the interventions (such as motivational interviewing, standard crisis response planning, and others) showed no significant effect on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, or suicide deaths among current and former military personnel compared with treatment as usual, sham, or waitlist controls.
- However, when the analyses were moderated for factors like intervention type, they revealed that care management and nonpharmacological biological interventions like transcranial magnetic stimulation were more effective than behavioral interventions for reducing the likelihood of suicide attempts.
- The non-RCTs showed that some interventions were beneficial for reducing suicide rates and suicidal behaviors. These interventions varied, ranging from requiring soldiers to leave their weapons on base when going home over the weekend to multicomponent interventions that targeted strengthening social support and encouraging help seeking behaviors.
The Other Side
The meta-analysis only included RCTs that reported suicide attempts and deaths, excluding studies focused exclusively on suicidal ideation. Additionally, there was a high risk of bias across the RCTs. Finally, the researchers noted that the moderation analysis and findings of the non-RCTs should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies and high risk of bias.
Takeaway Message
This meta-analysis highlights a significant gap for suicide prevention among former and current military personnel. Until interventions that target military-specific risk factors are developed, the researchers wrote, “targeting upstream risk and protective factors may help prevent suicide.”
Related Information
Source
Luke T. Bayliss, et al. Are suicide prevention interventions effective for current and ex-serving military personnel? Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. Published May 25, 2026. doi: 10.1111/sltb.70115
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/Sinenkiy)