The Longitudinal Ideation Survey Results Executive Report presents results from the Longitudinal Ideation Survey (LIS); a two-wave study focusing on examining and better understanding help-seeking practices and experiences among active duty Service members with recent suicidal ideation. The two waves of the LIS fielded online, one year apart (Wave 1, Spring 2020; Wave 2, Spring 2021).
Suicide is a threat to ensuring force well-being and promoting mission readiness and as such is a topic of vital interest to the Department of Defense (DoD) and the military community. This report aids understanding of suicide and by doing so will inform DoD suicide prevention efforts, contributing to enhancing, facilitating, and ensuring ready access to supportive services for all Service members. Of note is while experiences of psychological distress were a key motivating factor for seeking help, Service members also indicated certain real and perceived barriers to help-seeking, including negative personnel outcomes resulting from help-seeking.
This report has two sections. The first presents descriptive findings related to help-seeking practices and experiences among those with recent suicidal ideation and the second section examines predictors of help-seeking. The appendix provides detailed wording of each question analyzed.