Principal component analysis of the Suicide Opinion Questionnaire in a UṠ. military sample of Marine Corps Non-Commissioned Officers

Résumé

Attitudes about suicide are important to examine among individuals within a specific setting, profession, and/or culture; if found to be condemnatory, such attitudes can be effectively modified with training. The Suicide Opinion Questionnaire (SOQ) is one of the most commonly used instruments for the measurement of attitudes toward suicide. The SOQ has not been tested in military populations and the measure has demonstrated multiple different factor structures across various studies performed on civilian samples. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to gain an understanding of the applicability and utility of the SOQ for the military; and (2) to examine the relationship among sex, education, prior exposure to suicide within one's military unit, and suicide opinions. A total of 1,758 Marine Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) completed the SOQ as part of a suicide program evaluation study. Results demonstrated a 4-component structure for the SOQ, accounting for approximately 30% of the total variance. Sex, education, and prior exposure to suicide within one's military unit were significantly related to suicide opinions. Recommendations are made for the development and empirical evaluation of a new and/or adapted, culturally sensitive suicide attitude measure for the military. ÉTATS-UNIS MILITAIRE ATTITUDE EXPOSITION FACTEUR-SOCIODÉMOGRAPHIQUE INSTRUMENT: SUICIDE-OPINION-QUESTIONNAIRE