Leadership After a Possible
Suicide or Suicide Attempt

When a service member is

Sustaining Readiness andCaring for Unit Members

found injured or dead, thecause is often unknown. The
cause may be a medical event,members may feel uncertain
about what to talk about,what not to talk about, andto care for unit members andsustain readiness.

Center for the Study ofTraumatic Stress (CSTS)
Department of Psychiatry
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-4799
www.CSTSonline.org
ADVANCING PSYCHOLOGICALHEALTH AND RESILIENCE
THROUGH TRAUMARESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND
CONSULTATION

LISTEN

what to do. Inside are actions

ACTattempt. Leaders and unit

COMMUNICATEan accident, suicide, or suicide➧(first few hours and ongoing):(hours, days, and weeks):■ Express the unit’s loss. Speak also of the positive■ Identify key stressors and consider their impact■■(immediately and ongoing):■ Listen to others, especially junior leaders.

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Learn what is known about the event andunderstand concerns.
Make time to hear the concerns of people
close to the service member, including
friends, significant others, and parents.
Understand what is known and publicknowledge about the event to help you
determine how to talk with different people.
The exact language for different events (e.g.,suicide vs accident; injury vs death) changes
based on what people already know.
Be alert to rumors. Often, they containworries and beliefs (right or wrong) about anevent. Address known facts and identify whatis still unknown.
Be sensitive to recent stressors or losses within
the unit that may heighten worries about thecurrent event.
Meet with leaders from spouse and partnergroups to identify additional unit stressors, aswell as beliefs and reactions.
Be aware that some people may blame
themselves. People’s last interaction
with the person who died often frames
their perspective and beliefs about their
responsibility for or role in the death(e.g., “I could/should have…”).
Remember that people express grief, sadness,
and anger in ways that may or may not be
the same as you do. People’s different
backgrounds and cultures influence theirreactions to the death.

ACT

COMMUNICATELISTEN

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aspects of the person.
Emphasize that “caring for each other” is an
important part of being a service member (e.g.,listen to people’s difficult emotions, encourage
self-care, help people with problem-solving).
Remind people where they can get help if theywant to talk with someone (e.g., commandleaders, behavioral health, chaplains).
Remember that it’s okay to express emotions
when you speak. Your emotions may help others
express theirs.
Say what is known and avoid speculating:x Following a death, say “Our team member
was found dead” or “Our team member wasfound with a gunshot wound to the head.”x Following a personal injury, say “Our teammember was found injured and taken for
medical care.”x Avoid drawing conclusions, such as, “Thiswas a suicide.”
Avoid describing explicit details about themethod of injury or death.
Provide opportunities to talk regularly
and offer support to persons involved (e.g.,people close to or involved in discovery of theservice member)
Repeat key messages. In high stress situations,people do not remember things as well as they
do in more normal times.
Before talking with family members, it can be
helpful to talk with other people about how you
will approach the conversation as you decide
what to say and how to say it.

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on the unit.
Mitigate stressors when possible (e.g., lack ofsleep, high op tempo, lack of time off,
separation from home, changes in leadershipor unit members).
Be present and visible by walking around andtalking with your service members. Person-toperson communication is important.
Encourage self-care (e.g., eat regular meals, get
restful sleep, manage stress) and be a role modelby practicing self-care yourself. If people see you
doing this, it will remind them that it’s okay forthem to practice self-care as well.
Remind unit members that people havedifferent feelings (e.g., sadness, confusion,anger, guilt) and these often change over time.
Temporarily lowering the unit op tempo cancreate opportunities for unit members to be
together and sustain cohesion by discussing
concerns and supporting one another.
Remind unit members to reach out to a person
who is not acting like themselves, is moredistant, is not talking, or is talking excessively.
Say, “You don’t seem like yourself. What’s up?”
Provide junior leaders with ongoing andupdated information. Encourage them to ask
any questions and share concerns.
Ask chaplains to be present in the unit (walkingaround) and at briefings to check in with unit
members and remind them support services areavailable through multiple channels.
Seek out a peer or mentor who can listen oroffer support or advice about how to manage
the stress and uncertainty of the event.