A-State Researchers Learn More About Veteran Suicides in Study
JONESBORO – A group of researchers across the Arkansas State University campus aims to learn more about concussions and the impact they have on veteran suicides.
“The Veterans' Suicide Prevention Project is a group of 17 faculty researchers representing almost every department and program from the College of Nursing and Health Professions. We have been tasked to investigate mental health issues and suicide ideation in military veterans," said Dr. Scott Bruce, College of Nursing and Health Professions associate dean of research.
The authors of the paper are: Bruce; Dr. Michael R. Cooper, assistant professor of nursing; Carly Farmer, project program specialist; Dr. Audrey Folsom, assistant professor of clinical laboratory sciences; Dr. Melanie Fulton, Master of Social Work program director; Jana Haskins, director, Beck Center for Veterans; Dr. Cheryl Knight, assistant professor of social work; Dr. Carlitta M. Moore, vice chancellor for access and institutional engagement; Dr. Amy Shollenbarger, professor of communications disorders; Dr. Rashele Wade, bachelor of social work program director; Dr. Stacy Walz, associate dean of Nursing and Health Professions; Dr. Rachel Wilkins, assistant director of physical therapy; Rebbecca Wellborn, assistant professor; Eric West, assistant professor of dietetics; and Kendall Youngman, assistant professor, MRI/CT program director.
Depression and suicidal thoughts are no strangers to veterans who suffered a concussion during their military service. It is something the team of researchers aimed to learn more about.
The study collected data on 78 military veterans and found “the combination of concussion history and combat experience strongly predicted either anxiety, depression, or suicide ideation in military veterans,” Bruce said.
“Our study provides insights into the relationships between concussion history, combat experience, and their impacts on mental health issues and suicide ideation among military veterans,” he continued.
The study is catching traction, as the team recently learned the manuscript the Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Project submitted to Brain Sciences titled “The Relationship Between Concussion and Combat History and Mental Health and Suicide Ideation Among United States Military Veterans—A Pilot Study,” has been published as part of a special issue titled: "Advances in Assessment and Training of Perceptual-Motor Performance."
Bruce also recently presented a research poster and oral presentation on behalf of the Veterans’ Suicide Prevention Project at the annual St. Bernards Research Symposium. The title of the research was: “The Role of Concussion History & Combat Experience Upon Veterans’ Suicide Ideation and Mental Health." The oral presentation won “Best Oral Presentation” for the Research Category.
