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The protective effects of grit on suicidal ideation in individuals with trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress
Author(s) -
Marie Laura,
Taylor Sarah E.,
Basu Natasha,
Fadoir Nicholas A.,
Schuler Kaitlyn,
McKelvey Daniel,
Smith Phillip N.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22803
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , moderation , psychology , clinical psychology , moderated mediation , posttraumatic stress , psychological intervention , mediation , depressive symptoms , psychiatry , suicide prevention , poison control , medicine , medical emergency , anxiety , social psychology , political science , law
Objective It is important to understand factors that moderate the likelihood of developing suicidal thoughts following traumatic exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Method In this cross‐sectional study, a moderated atemporal mediation analysis was conducted in a sample of 709 college students (71% female, M age = 19.90 years, 67% Caucasian) to test the associations between trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and suicidal ideation, with grit entered as a moderator of all paths in the equation. Results PTSD symptoms mediated the association between trauma and suicidal ideation. Grit moderated the direct pathway from PTSD symptoms to suicidal ideation. Conclusions Grit and other constructs of resiliency may inform strength‐focused interventions to remediate the impact of trauma and posttraumatic stress symptoms and potentially reduce suicidal thoughts and risk for suicide.