Comorbidity, Impairment, and Suicidality in Subthreshold PTSD

The authors studied the relationship between impairment and suicide risk in association to subthreshold PTSD. 2,608 individuals screened for affective and anxiety disorders across the United States reported at least one PTSD symptom of at least one month’s duration. Impairment, number of comorbid disorders, rates of comorbid major depressive disorder, and current suicidal ideation increased linearly and significantly with each increasing number of subthreshold PTSD symptoms. Individuals with subthreshold PTSD were at greater risk for suicidal ideation. (35 refs)