Expert Opinion on Managing Suicide Risk in Deployed Settings

Abstract This study aimed to: (1) determine the perceived effectiveness of buddy watch, weapon removal, and medical evacuations (MEDEVAC) for managing suicide-related events during deployment, (2) evaluate the involvement of leaders, behavioral health providers (BHPs), and chaplains in implementing these strategies, and (3) develop recommendations based on feedback from key stakeholders. A total of 74 Army support staff (80% male, 61% aged 30–44) who had encountered another service member that died by suicide, attempted suicide, or thought about suicide during deployment participated in an anonymous, online survey. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare responses between leaders, BHPs, and chaplains. Overall, survey participants supported the use of buddy watch (79%) and MEDEVAC (94%) as effective strategies for managing suicide risk during deployment, while support for weapon removal was mixed (leaders: 50%, BHPs: 92%, chaplains: 88%; Fisher exact test = 10.43, p = .01). Leaders and BHPs were endorsed as important personnel involved in making decisions regarding the use of buddy watch (78%, 77%, respectively), weapon removal (84%, 69%, respectively), and MEDEVAC (73%, 84%, respectively). It is recommended that buddy watch, weapon removal, and MEDEVAC be used in a deployed setting when determined by each service member’s unique set of risk factors.