Suicide Risk and Coping Styles in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Patients

47 posttraumatic stress disorder patients were compared with 42 patients with mixed non-posttraumatic stress disorder anxiety disorders, & 50 healthy control subjects, matched for age & gender, on a measure of suicide risk. The posttraumatic stress disorder patients scored significantly higher than the 2 control groups on the suicide risk measure. Furthermore, suicide risk in these patients was significantly negatively correlated with the coping mechanisms of mapping, minimization, & replacement & positively correlated with the coping style of suppression. Clinicians should focus on problem-solving therapies in order to help these patients deal less rigidly with everyday stresses. (49 refs.)