The document summarizes feedback from representatives of different military branches in response to a policy brief about the relationship between deployment, combat experience, and military suicide. The representatives point out that most military suicides are among those who have never deployed and that deployment may actually have a protective effect by enhancing social connections. While previous research has focused on deployment as a risk factor, the discussed perspectives suggest the relationship is complex and that social integration and connectedness could be more important factors to consider.

1. USC Center for Innovation and Research
on Veterans & Military Families (CIR)
POLICY BRIEF ADDENDUM ǀ JUNE 2011
CIR POLICY BRIEF ADDENDUM: Prevention Program) indicated that existing
evidence also does not support the link be-
“TOGETHER WE STAND, DIVIDED WE tween deployment and suicide in the Marine
FALL: CONNECTEDNESS, SUICIDE, AND Corps, noting that less than half of suicides
SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE MILITARY” among Marines were ever deployed, and less
than 25% of these suicides had ever been in
ERIC RICE combat. LCDR Bonnie Chavez (Behavioral
ANTHONY FULGINITI Health Program Manager, Navy Suicide Pre-
vention Program) added that deployment
The Center for Innovation and Research on history is not a statistical risk factor in Navy
Veterans & Military Families (CIR) recently suicides, as individuals deployed either at sea
published a Policy Brief entitled “Together We or on ground are proportionally represented.
Stand, Divided We Fall: Connectedness, Sui-
In contrast to the stance that deployment
cide, and Social Media in the Military,” about
confers added suicide risk, both Maj
the potential role of social media in prevent-
McCarthy and LCDR Chavez offered findings
ing suicides among servicemembers. Maj Mi-
that suggest the potential protective effect of
chael McCarthy (Program
deployment. Maj McCarthy
Manager, Air Force Suicide
The suicide process is a noted that the lowest rate of
Prevention Program) con-
tacted CIR to reflect on the link complicated pathway
suicide occurred among ser-
that is often made in the media that cannot be reduced
vicemembers with multiple de-
ployments while LCDR Chavez
and academic literature be- to any direct correla-
commented that a very low
tween deployment or combat tion to deployment…
percentage of Navy suicides
experience and servicemember the processes of social
(typically less than 4%) occur
suicide. In response, CIR
reached out to the other ser-
integration at work on deployment. Furthermore,
vices in order to gain their per- during deployment shipboard deployments, in par-
ticular, may prevent suicide by
spectives and build a compre- transitions, and how
enhancing servicemembers’
hensive understanding of this such processes impact
sense of purpose and connect-
issue and found representa- suicide risk, require
edness as well as reducing long
tives from several branches of
further research. periods of time alone with le-
the military who graciously
thal means.
offered timely and thoughtful
responses to this policy brief. We welcome this rebuttal. These data make a
great deal of sense from the perspective of
In a conference call with Dr. Anthony Hassan social integration. As suggested by Braswell &
(CIR Director), Megan Hazle (CIR Communi- Kushner (2010), while deployments may dis-
cations Liaison), and Dr. Eric Rice (author), tance servicemembers from their non-
Maj McCarthy pointed out a key piece of data military networks, deployments may also
omitted from the published literature on sui- provide opportunities for integration with
cide among servicemembers. In reference to other servicemembers. We agree with the
data from the 59 suicides among National sentiment echoed by LCDR Chavez in that the
Guard and Reserve members of the Air Force suicide process is a complicated pathway that
and Airmen on active duty status in 2010, cannot be reduced to any direct correlation to
Maj McCarthy highlighted that most suicides deployment. Indeed, the day after our policy
were among those who had never deployed, brief was published, Dr. Craig Bryan pub-
with the lowest rate among those who had lished data that supports the claims made by
deployed multiple times. LCDR Andrew Mar- our contacts in the military.† While the recent
tin (Program Manager, Marine Corps Suicide CIR Policy Brief reviews the literature deline-
http://cir.usc.edu 1

2. USC Center for Innovation and Research
on Veterans & Military Families (CIR)
ating the relationship between deployments and ____________________
suicide risk, the processes of social integration POLICY BRIEF AUTHORS
at work during deployment transitions, and how
such processes impact suicide risk, require fur- Anthony Fulginiti, MSW, LCSW, Doctoral Student,
ther research. It may also be prudent to consider University of Southern California.
how social connectedness prior to and upon en- Eric Rice, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of
try into military life contributes to suicide risk. Southern California School of Social Work.
With social integration having been demon- ____________________
strated as a protective factor against suicide, it
seems a worthwhile endeavor to investigate ADDENDUM CONTRIBUTORS
how and whether social media might be used to LCDR Bonnie Chavez, Ph.D., Navy Suicide Preven-
augment the protective forces of social integra- tion Program Behavioral Health Program Manager.
tion during deployment. Anthony Fulginiti, MSW, LCSW, Doctoral Student,
During our discussion with Maj McCarthy, he University of Southern California.
shared the concern that the focus of the current LCDR Andrew L. Martin, Psy.D., Marine Corps Sui-
academic literature on the impact of deployment cide Prevention Program Manager.
on suicide rates may have the unintended conse-
Maj Michael McCarthy, Air Force Suicide Preven-
quence of stigmatizing help-seeking for service-
tion Program Manager.
members who have not been deployed. A similar
concern was offered by LCDR Martin, who ex- Eric Rice, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of
pressed worry that the link between deployment Southern California School of Social Work.
and combat to suicide, often made by the media, ____________________
distracts policy makers from the true causes of
FOR MORE INFORMATION
suicide, which in turn impairs prevention efforts.
Phone: (213) 743-2050
We are thankful for these expressions of concern
and wholeheartedly emphasize that the path to Email: cir@usc.edu
suicide is invariably tragic but may or may not Website: http://cir.usc.edu
be related to deployment or combat history; we
do not endorse value judgments placed on the ____________________
nature of the pathway to suicide. We encourage SUGGESTED CITATION
all servicemembers, veterans, and their family CIR Policy Brief Addendum: Together We Stand, Di-
members to seek help and support during times vided We Fall: Connectedness, Suicide, and Social
of need, and CIR is working diligently to ensure Media in the Military. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center
that the services available to military-impacted for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military
populations is highly competent and available. Families.
† Bryan, C.J. (July, 2011). Suicide among service members: Un-
derstanding the reasons for suicide ideation and treatment
strategies. UBM Medica Psychiatric Times, 28(7).
____________________
POLICY BRIEF CITATION
Fulginiti, A., Rice, E. (2011). Together We Stand,
Divided We Fall: Connectedness, Suicide, and Social
Media in the Military. Los Angeles, CA: USC Center
for Innovation and Research on Veterans & Military
Families.
JUNE 2011 ADDENDUM 2