Stress and Suicide in the U.S. Army: Effects of Relocation on Service Members' Mental Health

Abstract

The evidence from sociological and epidemiological studies indicates that people who migrate or move their residence tend to have higher rates of suicide than nonmovers. The periodic reassignment and relocation of soldiers places them, in theory, at higher risk for suicide. There are no prior reports of the relationship between Army moves and suicides. The findings of the current report are that the correlation of moves and suicide is not present for the majority of the soldiers but is present for the youngest third of the Army population. Some aspects of the individual and social dynamics that may influence the relation between relocation and suicide are provided, and some issues about the applicability of status-integration theory to relocation-related suicides are raised.