Citation

O'Hare T, Shen C, Sherrer MV. Best Practi. Ment. Health 2016; 12(2): 96-108.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Lyceum Books)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In a sample (N = 132) of people with severe mental illness (SMI; schizophrenia spectrum and major mood disorders) we tested the hypothesis that Hispanic clients (but not African American clients) would report significantly more lifetime suicide attempts than white clients when controlling for key psychiatric symptoms, thoughts of self-harm and suicide, lifetime self-injurious behaviors, lifetime trauma, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Regression modeling showed that lifetime trauma, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and an interaction between Hispanic race and lifetime trauma significantly correlated with lifetime suicide attempts. The interaction term (Hispanic x trauma) showed the highest correlation with lifetime suicide attempts of all factors in the equation.

FINDINGS suggest that trauma may confer greater risk of suicide attempts in Hispanic clients with SMI. Longitudinal research with larger multi-ethnic samples and more in-depth examination of reactions to trauma and its possible link to suicidal thoughts and attempts is warranted. Limitations of this study include its modest sample size and cross-sectional nature.

Language: en