Expanded Roles and Recommendations for Stakeholders to Successfully Reintegrate Modern Warriors and Mitigate Suicide Risk

Abstract

This article draws upon the legends of warriors from ancient Greece and other traditions to illuminate the journey of Modern Warriors (MWs) who have served in the United States military over the last century. It then turns to stakeholders that can assist current MWs in their reintegration to civilian life and mitigate suicide risk. Until this point, without an existing and coordinated local, federal, non-profit, and private system, rates of suicide for post-9/11 MWs after leaving the military have greatly increased, especially for young and women MWs. This is due in part to the military satisfying many of MWs' needs by providing units, leaders, and a mission during the Departure and Initiation stages of the MW journey. However, as MWs exit the military and face the difficult task of reintegration, the absence of units, leaders, and mission leads to deteriorating psychological health and increasing suicide risk. Written primarily by post-9/11 MWs, this article proposes recommendations for stakeholders to better reintegrate MWs and mitigate suicide risk. The authors strive to develop a system that satisfies MWs' reintegration needs and enables MWs to be well positioned to continue their next 'mission'-to serve and improve society.

Eusocial theory of suicide risk: Clinical presentations and commentary.

“…A key feature of the ETS Sponsorship Program is the utilization of trained and certified local sponsors who help to build connection and resiliency with their assigned veteran. These personal connections between transitioning veterans and their sponsors as well as connections to key resources across domains assist veterans to reintegrate into civilian life and may help to ease transition stresses by providing needed emotional support to veterans during a turbulent period (Geraci et al, 2020). Notably, this model incorporates key components of suicide prevention, addressing loneliness and social isolation through use of sponsors (e.g., thwarted belongingness) and targeting veterans' miscalculation of their value of life by facilitating reintegration into civilian life (e.g., perceived burdensomeness).…”

“…Third, the previously mentioned IPC-3 for student veterans utilizes an apprenticeship model, where clinically supervised peer mentors provide a transdiagnostic mental health intervention to student veterans in distress, which is a promising method for adapting services for veterans (Murray et al, 2011; Geraci et al, 2020). This unique combination of peer camaraderie and clinical supervision equips peer mentors to help their fellow veterans feel less alone when facing their problems by employing empathetic listening, providing social support, and allowing space for the veteran to explore their thoughts and emotions regarding the causes of their distress.…”

Coming Home: A Feasibility Study of Self-Guided Dialogues to Facilitate Soldiers’ Social Interactions and Integration

“…Although currently available in only a few cities, preliminary findings demonstrate that ETS-SP has helped improve Veterans' social connection (Sokol et al, 2021). Social connectedness is a central pillar of the US Department of Veterans Affairs National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide (Geraci et al, 2020). This connectedness is an important protective factor that "can help increase a Veteran's sense of belonging, foster a sense of personal worth, and provide access to sources of support (US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2018, p.…”

Predicting suicide attempts among U.S. Army soldiers after leaving active duty using information available before leaving active duty: results from the Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers-Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS)

“…2 Each year, nearly 200000 individuals transition from active duty military service to civilian life. 3 For some, this transition is characterized by such psychosocial stressors as disruptions in support networks, housing instability, lack of employment, and financial strain, 3 – 7 which are associated with increased risk of suicide-related behavior (SRB). 8 , 9 Indeed, suicide risk in the year following the transition to civilian life is approximately 2.5 times as high as the rate among active duty personnel.…”