Suicidality in Persons with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: What Are the Risk Factors?

BACKGROUND

The results of the previous research imply that persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at an increased suicide risk. Suicidality is more probable when PTSD occurs in comorbidity with other psychological disorders. The studying of potential differences and the fundamental social and physiological characteristics of suicidal and non-suicidal persons with PTSD has so far failed to produce consistent results. The objective of this article is to examine whether suicidal and non-suicidal persons with PTSD differ by demographic characteristics, the presence and the type of comorbidity with other psychological disorders and the type of traumatic experience.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The study included 147 participants from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 91 men and 56 women, who have been diagnosed with PTSD under the 10 revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Based on the suicidality status (suicidal/non-suicidal), the sample was divided into two sub-samples. For the purpose of data collection, a clinical interview and a socio-demographic questionnaire was applied during psychological clinical assessment at a psychiatric ward.

RESULTS

It has been established that suicidal and non-suicidal persons with PTSD differ by demographic characteristics, such as the educational and employment status, the presence of a history of suicide in the family, the presence and type of comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, and the type of traumatic experience. In terms of age, gender, marital status and psychiatric heredity, no significant differences have been found relative to the suicidality status.

CONCLUSIONS

Suicidal persons with PTSD more frequently have low education, they are unemployed and have a history of suicide in the family, and they are diagnosed with comorbid psychiatric disorders, dominated by mood disorders and personality disorders, with multiple comorbid disorders combined, and with war, civilian and mixed trauma being equally present in these persons. Based on the established demographic and clinical characteristics of suicidal patients with PTSD, it is possible to improve the psychological and psychiatric assessment of suicidality in persons with PTSD, which enables adequate and timely identification of the suicide risk in this population.