Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Suicidal Ideation: The Role of Specific Symptoms Within the Framework of the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide

摘要

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked consistently with suicidal ideation (SI). However, research in this area has focused on PTSD at the diagnostic or syndrome level rather than at the symptom level. In the present study we examined the relationship between individual PTSD symptoms and SI, deriving hypotheses from the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) as well as the conceptual and empirical literature regarding the nature and factor structure of PTSD symptoms. We predicted that the strongest relationship between PTSD symptoms and SI would be found for the emotional numbing symptoms, especially detachment or estrangement from others. Trauma-exposed female undergraduates (N = 434) completed a battery of self-report measures, including the PTSD Checklist and Personality Assessment Inventory. As hypothesized, detachment/estrangement had the highest zero-order correlation with SI. Further, in regression analysis, detachment/estrangement was the only PTSD symptom that was positively associated with SI after controlling for negative response bias, depression, type of trauma, and all other PTSD symptoms. These results are consistent with the IPTS and highlight the relationship between detachment/estrangement and SI among those with PTSD.