Real-Time Assessment of Emotion Regulation Strategies Used by Suicidal Military Personnel

Crisis Response Planning is an efficacious, one-session intervention that increases positive affect, decreases negative affect and psychiatric hospitalizations, and reduces suicide attempts by 76% among Servicemembers. Crisis Response Planning is hypothesized to reduce suicidality by identifying a variety of personalized strategies that are designed to strengthen and/or promote emotion regulation processes.Research in nonmilitary samples suggests the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies varies across situations. The applicability of these findings to suicidality among Servicemembers is unknown. Improved understanding of what strategies work under which circumstances and for whom will significantly advance our ability to prevent suicide among Servicemembers. Hypotheses include:

1. Use of self-management strategies, thinking about reasons for living, and seeking social support at time t will be associated with significant reductions in suicidal ideation at time t+1.
2. Use of distraction, reappraisal, and interpersonal emotion regulation strategies at time t will be associated with significant reductions in suicidal ideation at time t+1.
3. Affect intensity and social context will significantly moderate the time-lagged effects of Crisis Response Planning and emotion regulation strategy use on suicidal ideation.
4. Distinct profiles of demographic (e.g., gender, age), historical (e.g., prior suicide attempts), and psychological characteristics (e.g., emotion dysregulation, symptom severity) will predict who experiences a decrease in suicidal ideation following the use of Crisis Response Planning and emotion regulation strategies.
5. (Exploratory): Individuals who utilize their Crisis Response Planning more frequently and perceive Crisis Response Planning as more effective will be more likely to engage in mental health treatment at follow-up.