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Bullying in US Army Associated with MDD, PTSD, and SUD
Bullying or hazing between deployed US Army soldiers was significantly associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, and substance use disorder (SUD), according to study results recently published in JAMA Network Open.
“Continued vigilance and implementation of prevention strategies is warranted and may help reduce incidence of mental health problems among soldiers,” lead author Laura Campbell-Sills, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, and co-authors noted. “Furthermore, fostering awareness and effective responses among unit leaders is important when bullying or hazing occurs, given evidence that support from leadership may buffer some effects of peer abuse.”
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Data was pulled from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS) New Soldier Study (NSS) and wave 1 of the STARRS Longitudinal Study (STARRS-LS1). Participants were given a computerized survey at 1 of 3 army installations or a web/telephone survey. Primary outcomes were MDD, intermittent explosive disorder, PTSD, and suicidal ideation in the 12 months before STARRS-LS1 and SUD in the 30 days before STARRS-LS1. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview Screening Scales, PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale were used to measure outcomes.
Of the 1463 participants, 90.4% were male and were a mean age of 21 years. 188 respondents (12.2%) reported bullying or hazing, 1 in 8. Weighted outcome prevalences were 18.7% (1.3%) for MDD, 5.2% (0.9%) for intermittent explosive disorder, 21.8% (1.5%) for PTSD, 14.2% (1.2%) for suicidal ideation, and 8.7% (1.0%) for SUD.
“More research is needed to replicate these findings and clarify how the nature, frequency, and timing of bullying or hazing relate to mental health risk,” researchers concluded.
