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March 30, 2009
Study indicates PTSD may be independent predictor of attempted suicide
Medscape (3/26, Gandey) reported that, according to a study published in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, "post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an independent predictor of attempted suicide."
For the study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University examined data on "nearly 1,700 young adults from a group that has been followed since entering the first grade in Baltimore public schools," a "sample...composed of predominately African-Americans who grew up in an urban metropolitan area."
Next, the "investigators conducted interviews with participants to assess the occurrence of traumatic experiences, suicide attempts, and the development of PTSD." The team found that "people exposed to trauma who developed PTSD were at an increased risk for attempted suicide."
In addition, the authors "observed a more than three-fold increase in the risk for attempted suicide among people with PTSD from assaultive violence, compared with people who did not develop PTSD."
Posted by admin at March 30, 2009 07:21 PM