Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2196-8609

Date Available

5-6-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College

Social Work

Department/School/Program

Social Work

Faculty

Julie Cerel

Faculty

Natalie Pope

Abstract

Between 2000-2022, the U.S. suicide rate increased 36% with one death now occurring every 11 minutes (CDC, 2024). Despite the Department of Defense making a concerted effort to curb the suicide increases in their ranks, the rates have continued to rise. Active-duty component rates have slowly increased since 2011 while reserve and guard components have held steady (U.S. Department of Defense, 2023). After adjusting for age, the suicide rate in the veteran population was 57% greater than the civilian population in 2020 (CDC, 2024). There is a need for a better understanding of the impact of these deaths and the interplay of factors surrounding them so that prevention efforts can be strengthened. Method: A secondary, de-identified dataset will be used for all three manuscripts that employed quantitative cross-sectional research strategies which will lend itself to exploration of each research question. Sample: The total number of respondents was 1991 and each was asked about exposure to suicide as well as a host of mental health and trauma history questions. Those who reported suicide exposure (59.1%; n=1163) answered additional contingency questions related to grief, moral injury, and meaning-making. Conclusion: It was found that suicide exposure was not found as a significant predictor of posttraumatic growth while it was found to be a significant predictor of resiliency. Age and thwarted belongingness were also significantly associated with resiliency. Additionally, there was an inverse relationship between insomnia and resiliency that was more significant for those exposed to suicide.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.47

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