Shame as a mediator between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation among veterans.
BACKGROUND: Suicidal ideation is a problem that disproportionately affects veterans. Moreover, veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appear to be at particularly high risk for suicide. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present research was to examine whether shame mediates the association between PTSD and suicidal ideation. METHODS: Secondary analyses were conducted in a sample of 201 veterans with PTSD seeking care through an outpatient Veterans Affairs specialty PTSD clinic. RESULTS: Path analysis revealed that shame fully accounted for the effects of PTSD on suicidal ideation, suggesting that shame may represent a key link between PTSD and suicidal ideation among veterans. LIMITATIONS: Although the reverse mediation effect was also examined, the present sample was cross-sectional and predominantly male. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that shame may be an effective point of treatment intervention to reduce suicidal ideation among veterans with PTSD; however, additional prospective research is still needed to delineate the precise nature of these associations over time.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Veterans
- Suicidal Ideation
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Shame
- Psychiatry
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Humans
- Female
Citation
Published In
DOI
EISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Start / End Page
Location
Related Subject Headings
- Young Adult
- Veterans
- Suicidal Ideation
- Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
- Shame
- Psychiatry
- Middle Aged
- Male
- Humans
- Female