The relationship between posttraumatic stress symptomatology and suicidal behavior in school-based adolescents

This study investigated the relationship between posttraumatic stress disor der (PTSD) symptomatology and suicidal behavior, specifically suicidal idea tion and suicide attempt history, while controlling for depression and gend er in 106 adolescents in an urban high school. Participants completed self- report measures of the Adolescent Psychopathology Scales-Posttraumatic Stre ss Disorder Subscale (APS-PTS), the APS-Suicide Attempt History (APS-SAH), the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Junior (SIQ-JR), and the Reynolds Adole scent Depression Scale (RADS). Analyses were conducted using a hierarchical multiple regression design to account for the relationship between PTSD sy mptomatology and depression. Regression results showed that after controlli ng for depression and gender, PTSD symptomatology was significantly related to suicidal ideation and showed a trend toward suicide attempt history. I; I addition, adolescents with high levels of PTSD symptomatology were more l ikely than peers with "average" levels of PTSD symptomatology to be current ly thinking about suicide and to have made a past suicide attempt. These fi ndings show that PTSD symptomatology has a unique relationship to adolescen t suicidal behavior that cannot be explained by depression or gender. The i mportance of these results and their implications for future research are d iscussed.