Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Suicide Risk Among Hispanic/Latinx University Students: Examining Perceived Burdensomeness and Thwarted Belongingness

Rates of suicidal ideation and behaviors have been increasing across the past two decades among Hispanic/Latinx adults. Researchers have postulated that these trends may be due, in part, to perceived discrimination and other stressors experienced by minoritized populations. Relations between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity and suicidal ideation and suicide risk are well established. The interpersonal theory of suicide suggests that perceived burdensomeness (PB; i.e., the misperception that an individual is a burden on others) and thwarted belongingness (TB; i.e., when an individual feels socially disconnected from others) are critical to understanding suicidal ideation and risk. Elements of Hispanic/Latinx culture, namely a strong familial connection and high value for the family system, are related to PB, TB, and suicide risk. No studies to date have examined these associations among trauma-exposed, Hispanic/Latinx university students. Therefore, the current study evaluated, among trauma-exposed Hispanic/Latinx university students, the association of PTSD symptom severity with suicidal ideation and suicide risk through PB and TB, examined concurrently. The sample included 564 Hispanic/Latinx university students (M-age = 21.63, SD = 4.14, 82.3% female, 72.7% White) who endorsed exposure to at least one potentially traumatic event per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, PTSD Criterion A. Trauma load (i.e., number of traumatic event types) was included as a covariate in all models. Results indicated that both PB and TB statistically mediated the association of PTSD symptom severity with both suicidal ideation and suicide risk. This research has the potential to inform and advance university mental health outreach programs and policy.