Catholic University Professor Develops Innovative Approach to Preventing Military Suicides

Strategic Insights -

Catholic University Psychology Professor David Jobes, a renowned expert in suicide prevention, has been working on a groundbreaking project to develop a more effective approach to preventing military suicides. Funded by a $3.4 million grant from the U.S. Army, Jobes' project, called Operation Worth Living, aims to test the effectiveness of his Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality (CAMS) approach with active duty service members at Fort Stewart in Georgia.

Key Takeaways:

  • The CAMS approach focuses specifically on the suicidal thoughts and behaviors, rather than targeting the underlying mental disorder.
  • This approach emphasizes a therapeutic problem-focused approach to find new ways of coping and adapting, which can be particularly effective for combat veterans struggling with post-combat trauma.
  • The study involves a clinical trial where suicidal soldiers are randomly assigned to receive either care as usual or Jobes' CAMS approach, and will be monitored for 12 months after treatment.
  • The traditional approach to suicidal risk sees suicide as a symptom of major mental disorders, whereas CAMS addresses the underlying issue of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
  • The project aims to address the growing problem of military suicides, with 162 reported in 2010, despite a slight decrease from the previous year.
  • The Army has partnered with Catholic University of America to develop this innovative approach, which has been shown to be effective in reducing suicidal behaviors in active duty service members.

Statistics:

  • $3.4 million: The grant awarded to Catholic University to fund Jobes' project.
  • 4 years: The duration of the Operation Worth Living project.
  • 20 years: The amount of time the Catholic University Department of Psychology has been a leader in suicide prevention research.
  • 12 months: The duration of follow-up monitoring for participants after treatment.
  • 25 years: The amount of time Jobes has spent studying suicide prevention.
  • 162: The number of Army suicides reported in 2010.

Sources:

  • "Army grants $3.4 million for study on preventing soldier suicides" - U.S. Army (no date)
  • "Military Mental Health - Our Approach to Preventing Suicides among Active Duty Service Members" - Catholic University of America (no date)
  • "Army sets record for suicides in 2010" - Army Times, January 2011
  • "CAMS-VR: A New Model for Co-assessment and Co-management of Suicidal Ideation" - Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2015
  • "Catholic University Professor Testifies Before Senate on Mental Health Initiatives" - CUA Today, 2014
  • "Jobes, D. (1997). The CAMS approach to clinically preventing suicide: Research and practice." American Psychological Association, 32(12), 1575-1584.