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Shame as a mediator between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation among veterans.

Cunningham KC, LoSavio ST, Dennis PA, Farmer C, Clancy CP, Hertzberg MA, Kimbrel NA, Calhoun PS, Beckham JC. Shame as a mediator between posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and suicidal ideation among veterans. Journal of affective disorders. 2019 Jan 15; 243:216-219.

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Abstract:

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.




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