Posttraumatic symptoms and suicide risk

The relationship between traumatic events and suicide risk is well known. Most researches agree that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) plays a major role in this link. However, less is known about the specific posttraumatic symptom constellation that predicts suicide risk. In the current study we examined the posttraumatic symptom's profile which is associated with suicide risk, in a community sample of men with no known psychopathology. The research population included 103 men aged 25-45. They were administered the 'Traumatic Event Questionnaire', PTSD Scale', 'Suicide Risk Scale' (SRS) and the SCL-90. Results indicated that suicide risk was predicted by high levels of depression and hostility. High levels of arousal symptom and low levels of avoidance added a significant contribution to that prediction, suggesting that avoidance may serve as a buffer against suicide risk, while high levels of arousal may increase suicide risk. These findings may serve mental health professionals to identify high-risk persons also in a non-clinical population. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.