A meta-analysis of studies concerning suicide among conscripts

Suicide can be considered as a continuum from suicide ideation to committing suicide. This phenomenon has both psychological and sociological aspects, and as a result, a flow of thoughts, behaviors, situations and interpersonal relationships is formed that in some cases originates before the beginning of conscription. This study aimed to review related papers, dissertations and research projects, and to synthesis and integrate the results of those studies using meta-analysis method. The present study is a descriptive-explanatory research in terms of method and an applied research in terms of purpose. Using documentary method, the required data were collected from about 20 military, academic and research centers besides internet search which led to around 100 cases. After several screening steps 36 samples were selected to be included. Correlation Coefficient was used to analyze the findings and calculate the effect size (d). Based on the results of this meta-analysis, factors for suicide among conscripts are as follow: individual variables (i.e. aggression, sensation-seeking, narcissistic personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, sadistic personality disorder, neuroticism, alexithymia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobia, psychosis, depression, mental disorder, non-interactive behaviors, impulse control disorder, histrionic personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, anxiety, extroversion / introversion, drug abuse, and paranoia), family-related variables (i.e. lack of social support, lack of family cohesion and family problems, managerial and organizational variables (i.e. the commander's behavior, service conditions, service location (e.g. border checkpoints) and problem solving skills training, which in drug abuse (r = 0.63), depression (r = 0.57), borderline personality disorder (r = 0.56), lack of social support (r = 0.37) and family problems (r = 0.31) were the most important variables affecting suicide among conscripts.