Memorandum from the Centre for Suicide
Research, Professor Keith Hawton
UNITED STATES
AIR FORCE
SUICIDE PREVENTION
PROGRAMME
When I attended the House of Commons Defence
Committee on 7 July I said I would find out what appear to be
have been the most important elements in the USAF suicide prevention
programme. I have been in contact with the psychologist working
on the project, Dr Kerry Knox, who has also discussed my request
with her primary Air Force collaborator, Colonel Wayne Talcott.
The people working on the programme are currently trying to evaluate
what appear to be the most effective components. However, this
evaluation is in its early stages. Their response to my request
indicates that they are unsure to what extent each component of
the programme contributed to its apparent effectiveness. However,
they emphasise that because of the assumed relatively low exposure
to any element of the intervention programme and the high turnover
in the military they feel that it has been extremely important
to include all the components until they have more information.
They have been delivering the whole package at present and intend
continuing to do this. Colonel Talcott thought that this was an
important message for the British Military. They believe that
overall, because of the multifaceted nature of suicide, it was
important to deliver multiple interventions, repeatedly, and never
to assume that the problem has been solved (ie therefore the programme
needs to be maintained intensively).
They also emphasised that the USAF programme
did not require recruiting new staff, but rather getting across
the important message of suicide prevention as an overall responsibility
within the force. Thus there were not multiple specific individuals
who were responsible for the programme. However, they did have
a suicide prevention manager (who was also responsible for a range
of community prevention activities). Overall, the USAF programme
did not require reallocation of major financial resources to suicide
prevention.
They emphasised that ownership of the programme
has to be at the community level within the force and that, as
I emphasised at the Hearing, it is essential for the leadership
of the force to support and promote the programme.
August 2004
|
