Chaplains' Engagement with Suicidality among Their Service Users: Findings from the VA/DoD Integrated Mental Health Strategy

Marek S Kopacz; Jason A Nieuwsma; George L Jackson; Jeffrey E Rhodes; William C Cantrell; Mark J Bates; Keith G Meador

doi:10.1111/sltb.12184

Chaplains' Engagement with Suicidality among Their Service Users: Findings from the VA/DoD Integrated Mental Health Strategy

Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2016 Apr;46(2):206-12. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12184. Epub 2015 Aug 10.

Authors

Marek S Kopacz¹, Jason A Nieuwsma^{2

3}, George L Jackson^{4

5}, Jeffrey E Rhodes⁶, William C Cantrell², Mark J Bates⁶, Keith G Meador^{2

7}

Affiliations

¹ US Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN 2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, Canandaigua, NY, USA.
² Mental Health and Chaplaincy, Department of Veterans Affairs, Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁴ Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁵ Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
⁶ Psychological Health Promotion, Deployment Health Clinical Center, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
⁷ Departments of Psychiatry and Health Policy, Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society & Graduate Department of Religion, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.

PMID: 26255592
DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12184

Abstract

Chaplains play an important role in supporting the mental health of current and former military personnel; in this study, the engagement of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Army, Navy, and Air Force chaplains with suicidality among their service users were examined. An online survey was used to collect data from 440 VA and 1,723 Department of Defense (DoD) chaplains as part of the VA/DoD Integrated Mental Health Strategy. Differences were noted for demographics, work setting characteristics, encountering suicidality, and self-perceived preparation for dealing with suicidality. Compared to DoD chaplains, VA chaplains encounter more at-risk service users, yet feel less prepared for dealing with suicidality.

Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Clergy*
Female
Humans
Interdisciplinary Communication
Intersectoral Collaboration
Male
Mental Health Services*
Middle Aged
Military Personnel / psychology*
Pastoral Care*
Professional Competence
Suicide / psychology*
Suicide Prevention*
United States
United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Veterans Affairs