Posttraumatic stress disorder and risk of suicidal behavior: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Introduction:This study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and (i) death by suicide, (ii) attempted suicide (AS), and (iii) suicidal ideation (SI). Methods:The systematic review identified seven studies on PTSD and suicide, 33 studies for AS, and 20 studies for SI. A series of stratified meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled effects, in addition to meta-regression to investigate sources of heterogeneity.Results: A higher relative risk of suicide was evident among those diagnosed with PTSD (RR = 2.09 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-3.94]), with strongest associations among combat veterans (RR = 3.97, 95% CI 2.22-7.10). A lower relative risk of suicide among those with PTSD and co-morbid psychiatric conditions was evident (RR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.63-0.86). A strong association between PTSD and attempted suicide (RR = 4.05, 95% CI 3.14-5.23) and suicidal ideation (RR = 2.91, 95% CI 2.22-3.82) was also found, with a consistently strong association among those with co-morbid psychiatric conditions and non-clinical cohorts. Conclusion:This review found a strong association between PTSD and death by suicide, attempted suicide, and suicidal ideation, and also suicide among veteran populations. Early identification and treatment of PTSD across both clinical and non-clinical cohorts should be a priority for suicide prevention.

Brief family involvement enhances veteran homework quality during trauma-focused psychotherapy.

“…Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly prevalent diagnosis among veterans (Seal, 2007;Wisco et al, 2014), and epidemiological data suggests that rates of the diagnosis are rising at faster rates than other disorders in this population (Hunt et al, 2019). PTSD is linked with heightened functional impairment (May et al, 2022), substance abuse (Livingston et al, 2022), and rates of suicide (Akbar et al, 2023). Given the deleterious effects that PTSD can have on individuals, much focus has been devoted to developing trauma-focused treatments to help alleviate symptoms.…”