Efforts to make suicide prevention more effective for service members are ongoing, with military chaplains often serving as the first line of care (Lee-Tauler et al., 2023). Service members who hesitate to seek mental health care may be more comfortable confiding in chaplains, who provide a nonjudgmental space without reporting concerns through the chain of command. This literature review explores how military chaplains influence service members’ self-awareness and meaning-making using a symbolic interactionist perspective, emphasizing how people reshape their identities through social interactions (Cockerham, 2021). Findings indicate that trained chaplains can help service members develop healthier coping mechanisms, showing the critical role of chaplains and community support in suicide prevention.
References Cockerham, W. (2021). Sociology of Mental Disorder, 11th edition. Routledge. Lee-Tauler, S. Y., Grammar, J., LaCroix, J., Walsh, A. K., Clark, S. E., Holloway, K. J., Sundararaman, R., Carter, K. M., Crouterfield, B., Hazlett, G. R., Hess, R. M., Miyahara, J. M., Varsogea, C. E., Whalen, C., & Ghahramanlou-Holloway, M. (2023). Pilot evaluation of the online ‘chaplains-care’ program: Enhancing skills for United States Military suicide intervention practices and care. Journal of Religion and Health, 62, 3856 - 3873. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-023-01882-9
