Exploring the Psychological Profile of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Comparative Study on Suicide Risk Factors

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that arises from exposure to traumatic events, leading to a spectrum of symptoms that can persist and cause significant distress or impairment. PTSD is strongly associated with suicide, attempts, and ideation across various populations. Understanding the distinct risk factors for suicide among individuals with PTSD is crucial for developing tailored interventions and preventive strategies. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed suicide risk factors using the Three-Step Theory of Suicide (۳ST) among ۶۸ individuals diagnosed with PTSD and a control group of ۶۸ individuals without any diagnosed psychological disorder. Participants were selected from psychiatric outpatient clinics in Hamedan City, Iran, and assessed using validated measures of psychological pain, hopelessness, interpersonal needs, and suicide capacity. Demographic characteristics were also collected. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics to summarize participant demographics and inferential statistics, including t-tests, to compare psychological measures between groups. Results: The t-tests revealed significant differences in psychological pain (t (۱۳۴) = ۵.۶۷, p < ۰.۰۰۱), hopelessness (t (۱۳۴) ۴.۸۲, p < ۰.۰۰۱), interpersonal needs (t (۱۳۴) = ۶.۳۴, p < ۰.۰۰۱), and suicide capacity (t (۱۳۴) = ۵.۲۱, p < ۰.۰۰۱), with moderate to large effect sizes (Cohen's d ranging from ۰.۶۵ to ۱.۰۲). Correlation analyses indicated strong positive relationships between psychological pain and hopelessness (r = ۰.۷۵, p < ۰.۰۰۱), as well as between hopelessness and suicide capacity (r=۰.۶۸, p<۰.۰۰۱). Multiple regression analysis showed that psychological pain and hopelessness significantly predicted suicide capacity (F (۲, ۱۳۵)=۳۴.۵۶, p <۰.۰۰۱), accounting for ۳۴% of the variance in suicide capacity. Conclusion: The PTSD group exhibited significantly higher levels of psychological pain, hopelessness, interpersonal needs, and suicide capacity compared to the control group. These findings underscore the need for comprehensive assessments and interventions that address both the symptoms of PTSD and the broader psychological distress associated with the disorder. Future research should aim to recruit larger and more diverse samples, utilize longitudinal designs, incorporate objective measures of psychological distress, and control for potential confounding variables.

کلیدواژه ها:

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) ، Psychological Pain ، Hopelessness ، Suicide Risk Factors ، Three-Step Theory of Suicide (۳ST)