Introduction

Suicide represents the sixteenth cause of death worldwide. Until a few years ago the suicide rate in the US military has been below that of the civilian population, but in 2008 the suicide rate among US soldiers began to outpace the civilian population. To our knowledge, there are no studies that describe suicidal behavior among Mexican military personnel.

Objective

To know the frequency of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in the last 12 months in Mexican naval military and determine the variables associated with both ideation and suicide attempt.

Method

This cross-sectional study included 246 outpatients who were sent for psychiatric assessment from their operating units. A psychiatric interview was conducted using the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases in its tenth edition, which included the presentation of suicidal ideation and attempted suicide in the last 12 months.

Results

Suicidal ideation in the last 12 months occurred in 60 cases (24.39%). Twenty-four cases (9.76%) presented a suicide attempt in the last 12 months. Variables associated with suicidal ideation were military grade (seaman and classes, p = .03), suicide family history (p < .01), depressive disorders (p < .01), and personality disorders (p < .01). Regarding the presentation of attempted suicide, the mean age in the cases was lower (p < .01). There was also a higher frequency of attempted suicide in singles or without a couple (p < .01), in personnel with four years or less in service (p < .01), and in patients with a personality disorder (p < .01).

Discussion and conclusion

Greater emphasis in the detection of mental health problems, including suicidality among the military population and more representative studies at the national level are needed.

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