Characterizing Sexual Assault Among Female U.S. Soldiers With Suicidal Behavior

Abstract

Associations between sexual assault and demographic and military characteristics, health indicators, and socioenvironmental factors among female U.S. Army soldiers who exhibited suicidal behavior from 2004 to 2013 and had data on sexual assault were examined. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine factors associated with a history of sexual assault stratified by type of suicidal event. The sample included 2,236 female soldiers with suicidal behavior: died by suicide (n = 43), suicide attempt (n = 1,142), and suicidal ideation (n = 1,051). Among soldiers in each of the suicide behavior categories, those diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had significantly higher odds of a sexual assault compared to those who were not diagnosed with PTSD. Future research is needed to improve the U.S. Army’s prevention of sexual assault in this population.

Keywords:

• Suicide
• posttraumatic stress disorder
• U.S. army
• victim
• suicidal ideation
• attempted suicide
• sexual assault
• military stress