Comparison of emotion regulation strategies, emotional experience and ambivalence of emotional expression in soldiers with suicide attempts and normal

Suicides are reported at a higher level in soldiers compared with the general public, due to the stressful nature of the military. The purpose of the present study was to determine and compare emotion regulation, positive and negative effect, and emotional ambivalence in soldiers with and without suicide attempts and normal people.
This retrospective study included 20 soldiers with suicide attempts in army ground forces in Hamadan city, Iran in 2016. Soldiers with suicide attempts were selected through purposive sampling and matched with 20 soldiers without suicide attempts who worked in the military environment. All study participants provided informed consent. Data were collected using a cognitive emotion regulation strategies questionnaire, positive and negative effect, and emotional ambivalence questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive indicators and univariate analysis of variance.
Emotion regulation strategies and levels of positive and negative effect in soldiers with suicide attempts were significantly different compared with soldiers without suicide attempts. The soldiers with suicide attempts reported a high level of negative effect and low levels of positive effect, compared with soldiers without suicide attempts.
Results showed that levels of affect and poor emotional regulation can provide predisposing conditions for suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior itself may make soldiers more susceptible to psychological damage. Interventions are required in order to reduce the risk of psychological damage, including appropriate emotion regulation education.