Citation

Florez IA, Allbaugh LJ, Harris CE, Schwartz AC, Kaslow NJ. Anxiety Stress Coping 2018; 31(1): 46-58.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences , Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta , GA , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10615806.2017.1369260

PMID

28846030

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is an increased interest in understanding the mechanisms through which post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relates with hopelessness and suicidal ideation. Spiritual well-being could help explain the link between PTSD and both hopelessness and suicidal ideation in African Americans. However, no study has examined the mediational role of existential and religious well-being among these variables.

OBJECTIVES: To examine if initial levels of existential and religious well-being mediated the relation between levels of PTSD symptoms and prospective levels of hopelessness and suicidal ideation in a sample of African American females.

DESIGN: The study used a longitudinal design with a 10-week time interval.

METHODS: The sample comprised of 113 disadvantaged African American women survivors of a recent suicide attempt recruited from a southern hospital. Self-report measures of PTSD symptoms, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and spiritual well-being were administered to examine the variables of interest. Bootstrapping techniques were used to test the mediational models.

RESULTS: Existential, but not religious well-being, mediated the relationship between levels of PTSD symptoms severity and both levels of hopelessness and suicidal ideation over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Existential well-being appears to play a promising protective role against the negative effects of PTSD on both hopelessness and suicidal ideation.

Language: en

Keywords

Existential well-being; hopelessness; meaning in life; post-traumatic stress disorder; spirituality; suicidal ideation