MIRECC / CoE
Rocky Mountain MIRECC for VA Suicide Prevention
Updated: 4 November 2019
Biography
- Lindsey L. Monteith PhD
Title: Clinical Research Psychologist- Contact:
720-723-4866
lindsey.monteith@va.gov - Accepting Fellowship Applications for 2019-2021
- Dr. Monteith is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Houston in 2012. After completing a pre-doctoral internship in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS), Dr. Monteith joined the Rocky Mountain MIRECC. Her research examines the role of interpersonal violence, and military sexual trauma in particular, on suicidal self-directed violence. She is particularly interested in applying theoretical and socio-ecological frameworks to understanding suicidal ideation and suicidal self-directed violence. Her research seeks to understand how trauma-related characteristics and sequelae influence risk for suicidal self-directed violence and patterns of help-seeking, while also elucidating the role of gender within these. She has published on interpersonal and institutional determinants of suicidal ideation and suicidal self-directed violence. Dr. Monteith is also strongly committed to identifying risk and protective factors for suicidal self-directed violence in female Veterans, with the ultimate goal of understanding how interventions can be tailored to meet female Veterans’ needs and prevent the number of lives lost to suicide.
- Dr. Monteith is a member of the MIRECC Suicide Prevention Consultation Service and the MIRECC Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Committee. She is available to supervise MIRECC fellows, VA ECHCS psychology interns, and psychology practicum students. She co-leads the Rocky Mountain MIRECC Standardized Measures Administration in Research Training Team (SMARTT), which provides standardized training on different interview-based measures for assessing mental health disorders, suicidal self-directed violence, and suicidal thoughts. Dr. Monteith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
- Year of Licensure: 2014
- Clinical and Research Interests: Suicide risk assessment and prevention, military sexual trauma and other forms of interpersonal violence, suicide prevention among female Veterans and Veterans not seeking VHA care, interpersonal risk and protective factors for suicide, rural Veterans, posttraumatic stress disorder, help-seeking, stigma.
- Statement about Research Program: My research focuses on understanding the role of interpersonal violence (particularly military sexual trauma) in suicidal self-directed violence and suicidal ideation. Within this, my research has sought to understand the ways in which specific trauma-related characteristics relate to suicide risk, while also identifying potential mechanisms by which trauma exposure impacts suicide risk. Toward this end, I am particularly interesting in elucidating modifiable intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional factors that exacerbate or mitigate risk for suicide. In addition, I am particularly interested in research aimed at elucidating risk and protective factors for suicide among female Veterans and Veterans not using VHA services, with the overall goal of understanding patient-centered strategies and interventions for preventing suicide among these important and understudied populations of Veterans.
Media: Podcasts
Podcast: Military Sexual Trauma (MST) - A Discussion with Dr. Lindsey Monteith- 4 October 2018 - We recorded this podcast to coincide with a series of online trainings that Dr. Monteith is conducting and because this is a particular time in our country where sexual assault is on the minds of many. Lindsey discusses with Adam how we can take a public health approach to sexual violence, one where we can all take responsibility for ending the violence and helping vistims heal. Her research of late has taken a qualitative approach where survivors are given a chance to speak in their own voice and make their own choices. She reminds us to listen with compassion and to believe what survivors are telling us.
Listen to the podcast 
Podcast: The Intersection of Intimate Partner Violence & Suicide Prevention with Drs. LeAnn Bruce, Keita Franklin and Lindsey Monteith- 12 September 2018 - This podcast is an excellent example of the collaborative relationship between the VA Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program and the VA Suicide Prevention Program in their mutual efforts to prevent both intimate partner violence (IPV) and suicide for those who have served. Dr. Bruce is the National Program Manager for the VHA Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program, which serves Veterans, their partners, and VA staff impacted by intimate partner violence. Dr. Franklin is the Executive Director, Suicide Prevention for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. And Dr. Monteith is a research/clinical psychologist with Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention.
Listen to the podcast 
Podcast: Military Sexual Trauma and Suicide- 22 February 2016 - Join us for our second episode of RMIRECC Short Takes when we interview Dr. Lindsey Monteith about her two recent articles exploring military sexual trauma "Sexual Trauma and Combat During Deployment: Associations With Suicidal Ideation Among OEF/OIF/OND Veterans" and "A Closer Examination of Sexual Trauma During Deployment: Not all Sexual Traumas are Associated with Suicidal Ideation". The podcast is approximately 20 minutes long. Podcast transcript
Listen to Military Sexual Trauma and Suicide
Recent Publications - Since 2015
2019
Holliday, R., Rozek, D. C., Smith, N. B., McGarity, S., Jankovsky, M., & Monteith, L. L. (2019). Safety planning to prevent suicidal self-directed violence among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Clinical considerations. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pro0000239
Andresen FJ, Monteith LL, Kugler J, Cruz RA, Blais RK. Institutional betrayal following military sexual trauma is associated with more severe depression and specific posttraumatic stress disorder symptom clusters. J Clin Psychol. 2019 Apr 4. doi: 10.1002/jclp.22773. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30947374.
2018
Barnes SM, Monteith LL, Forster JE, Nazem S, Borges LM, Stearns-Yoder KA, Bahraini NH. Developing Predictive Models to Enhance Clinician Prediction of Suicide Attempts Among Veterans With and Without PTSD. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2018 Sep 11. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12511. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 30206955.
Mohatt NV, Billera M, Demers N, Monteith LL, Bahraini NH. A menu of options: Resources for preventing veteran suicide in rural communities. Psychol Serv. 2018 Aug;15(3):262-269. doi: 10.1037/ser0000203. PubMed PMID: 30080083.
Monteith, L. L., Bahraini, N. H., Gerber, H. R., Dorsey Holliman, B., Schneider, A. L., Holliday, R., & Matarazzo, B. B. (2018). Military sexual trauma survivors’ perceptions of veterans health administration care: A qualitative examination. Psychological Services. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ser0000290
Barnes, S.M., Monteith, L.L., Forster, J.E., Nazem, S., Borges, L.M., Stearns-Yoder, K.A., & Bahraini, N.H. (2018). Developing predictive models to enhance clinician prediction of suicide attempts among veterans with and without PTSD. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12511
Monteith, L. L., Gerber, H. R., Brownstone, L. M., Soberay, K. A., & Bahraini, N. H. (2018). The phenomenology of military sexual trauma among male veterans. Psychology of Men & Masculinity. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/men0000153
Blais RK, Monteith LL. Suicide Ideation in female survivors of military sexual trauma: The trauma source matters. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2018 Apr 20. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12464. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 29676496.
Dorsey Holliman, B., Monteith, L.L., Spitzer, E.G., & Brenner, L.A. (2018). Resiliency, cultural beliefs and practices that mitigate suicide risk among African American female veterans. SAGE Open. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/2158244017753506
Holliday, R., Holder, N., Monteith, L. L., Surís, A. (2018). Decreases in suicide cognitions after cognitive processing therapy among Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder due to military sexual trauma: A preliminary examination. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease. Published online ahead of print. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000000840
Holliday, R., Monteith, L. L., & Wortzel, H. S. (2018). Understanding, assessing, and conceptualizing suicide risk in veterans with PTSD. Federal Practitioner, 35(4), 24-27.
Holliday, R., Smith, N. B., & Monteith, L. L. (2018). An initial investigation of nonsuicidal self-injury among male and female survivors of military sexual trauma. Psychiatry Research. Published online ahead of print. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.07.033
Maguen, S., & Monteith, L.L. (2018). Research Seeks to Better Understand the Relationship between Combat-related Killing and Suicidal Ideation. HSR&D Forum. https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/forum/spring18/default.cfm?ForumMenu=Spring18-6
Monteith, L. L., Brownstone, L. M., Gerber, H. R., Soberay, K. A., & Bahraini, N. B. (2018). Understanding suicidal self-directed violence among men exposed to military sexual trauma: An ecological framework. Psychology of Men and Masculinity. dx.doi.org/10.1037/men0000141
2017
Monteith, L.L., Bahraini, N.H., & Menefee, D.S. (2017). Perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and fearlessness about death: Associations with suicidal ideation among female veterans exposed to military sexual trauma. Journal of Clinical Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1002/jclp.22462
Blais, R. K., Monteith, L.L., & Kugler, J. (2017). Sexual dysfunction is associated with suicidal ideation in female service members and veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2017.08.079 Advance online publication.
Monteith, L.L., & Maguen, S. (2017). Combat-related killing and suicide through the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide. In B. Bongar, G. Sullivan, & L. James (Eds.), Handbook of Military and Veteran Suicide: Assessment, Treatment, & Prevention. Oxford University Press.
Smith, N. B., Monteith, L. L., Rozek, D., & Meuret, A. E. (2017). Childhood Abuse, the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, and the Mediating Role of Depression. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. doi:10.1111/sltb.12380 https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12380
Barnes S.M., Smith G.P., Monteith L.L., Gerber H.R., & Bahraini N.H. (2017) ACT for Life: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to understand and prevent suicide. In: Kumar U. (Ed.), Handbook of Suicidal Behaviour (pp. 485-504). Springer Nature, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4816-6_26
Barnes, S. M., Monteith, L. L., Gerard, G. R., Hoffberg, A. S., Homaifar, B. Y., & Brenner, L. A. (2017). Problem-Solving Therapy for Suicide Prevention in veterans with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury. Rehabilitation Psychology 62(4), 600-608. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rep0000154
Barnes S.M., Nazem S., Monteith L.L., & Bahraini N.H. (2017) Suicidal crises: The clinical and research implications of overlooking the role of suicidal reactivity. In: Kumar U. (Ed.) Handbook of Suicidal Behaviour (pp. 181-201). Springer Nature, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4816-6_10
Bahraini, N.H., Monteith, L.L., Gerber, H.R., Forster, J.E., Hostetter, T.A., & Brenner, L.A. (2017). The association between posttraumatic stress disorder and perceptions of deployment-related injury in veterans with and without mild traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000307.
2016
Monteith, L.L., Bahraini, N.B., Matarazzo, B.B., Gerber, H., Soberay, K.A., & Forster, J.E. (2016). The Influence of gender on suicidal ideation following military sexual trauma among veterans in the Veterans Health Administration. Psychiatry Research, July, doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2016.07.036
Monteith, L.L., Bahraini, N.H., Matarazzo, B.B., Soberay, K.A., & Smith, C.P. (2016). Perceptions of institutional betrayal predict suicidal self-directed violence among veterans exposed to military sexual trauma. Journal of Clinical Psychology. Advance online publication. doi:10.1002/jclp.22292
Gutierrez, P. M., Pease, J. L. Matarazzo, B. M., Monteith, L. L., Hernandez, T. D., & Osman, A. (2016). Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire and the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale in military veterans. Psychological Assessment. Advance online publication. doi:10.1037/pas0000310
Smith, N.B., Mota, N., Tsai, J., Monteith, L.L., Harpaz-Rotem, I., Southwick, S., & Pietrzak, R. (2016). Nature and determinants of the longitudinal course of suicidal ideation among US Veterans: Results from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal of Affective Disorders. Advance online publication.
Brenner, L.A., Bahraini, N. H., Homaifar, B.Y., Monteith, L.L., Nagamoto, H., Dorsey-Holliman, B., &
Forster, J.E. (2015). Executive functioning and suicidal behavior among veterans with and without a history of traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 96(8), 1411-1418. doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2015.04.010
2015
Monteith, L.L., Menefee, D.S., Forster, J.E., & Bahraini, N.H. (2015). A closer examination of sexual trauma during deployment: Not all sexual traumas are associated with suicidal ideation. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior. Advance online publication. doi:10.1111/sltb.12171
Monteith, L.L., Menefee, D.S., Forster, J.E., Wanner, J., & Bahraini, N.H. (2015). Sexual trauma and combat during deployment: Associations with suicidal ideation among OEF/OIF/OND veterans. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 28(4), 283-8. doi:10.1002/jts.22018
Monteith, L.L., Pease, J.L., Forster, J.E., Homaifar, B.Y., & Bahraini, N.H. (2015). Values as moderators of the association between interpersonal-psychological constructs and suicidal ideation among veterans. Archives of Suicide Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/13811118.2015.1004486
Pease, J.L., Monteith, L.L., Hostetter, T., Forster, J.E., & Bahraini, N.H. (2015). Military service and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in a national sample of college students. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 36(2), 117-125. doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000300
Grants/Funding
Identifying Novel Opportunities for Suicide Prevention among Women Veterans using Reproductive Health Care Services (Co-Investigator)
This VA HSR&D funded study seeks to determine whether reproductive health care settings offer an acceptable and effective setting to implement evidence-based, upstream suicide prevention strategies for women Veterans. In this mixed-methods cohort study, we will use information from VHA records, patient survey, and qualitative interviews to evaluate the magnitude of suicide risk and estimate the prevalence of suicide risk and protective factors among women Veterans 18 to 44 years of age who use VHA reproductive health care services. We will also assess women’s beliefs, attitudes, and preferences regarding suicide risk assessment and prevention within reproductive health care settings.
Assessing Social and Community Environments with National Data (ASCEND) for Veteran Suicide Prevention (Co-Investigator)
The overarching goal of this VA OMHSP operations funded project is to develop, design, and implement a reoccurring national survey of Veterans (ASCEND) that will: (1) Serve as a national surveillance system to document prevalence and trends over time in non-fatal suicidal self-directed violence across the life course; and (2) Provide estimates of the influence of social and community risk and protective factors (social determinants of health, social capital, and interpersonal needs) on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among Veterans. This project aims to inform policy and service development, program evaluation, and quality improvement for Veteran suicide prevention.
Patient Safety Center of Inquiry-VA Suicide Prevention Collaborative (PSCI-VASPC) (Co-Investigator)
The overarching goal of this project is to create a VA PSCI focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating practical solutions to reduce suicide among Veterans not receiving VA care. This center is organizationally affiliated with the Central Texas VA Healthcare System.
Suicide Prevention for Rural Veterans: A Community Based Approach
Funded by the VA Office of Rural Health (Currently funded)
Co-Investigator
Rural Women Veterans Psychoeducation and Skill Building Retreat
Funded by the VA Office of Rural Health (Past funding)
Co-Investigator
Window to Hope: Pilot Study of an Active Control: Problem Solving Therapy for Suicide Prevention among Veterans with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury (Past funding)
Funded by the Military Suicide Research Consortium
Co-Investigator / Study Clinician
Lethal Means
