Army Chaplains’ Perceptions About Identifying, Intervening, and Referring Soldiers at Risk of Suicide

In U.S. Army policy, chaplains and chaplain assistants (CAs) are explicitly identified as primary gatekeepers; however, research on their perceptions about their roles identifying, caring for, and referring soldiers in suicidal distress is scant. In this study, we estimate perceptions of Army chaplains and CAs in domains relevant to gatekeeping, including intervention efficacy, reluctance to intervene, stigma, and past intervention behavior. We do so using an online survey that was administered to all chaplains and CAs in the Army’s Active Component and Reserves in 2012. Response rates ranged from 41% of all chaplains in the Active Component to 19% of chaplains and CAs in the Reserves. Almost half of all chaplains and CAs thought they could use more suicide prevention training. Although chaplains reported greater perceived ability to intervene with individuals at risk for suicide relative to civilian samples, they also reported more reluctance to intervene. This reluctance may be explained in part by high reports of stigma regarding mental health treatment. These findings suggest that the Army should implement specific suicide prevention training for chaplains and CAs that focuses on providing acute behavioral health treatment, reducing mental health stigma, and encouraging chaplains to collaborate with other behavioral health resources.